Remember My Soul?
by Apocalyxtic98
Summary: On what's supposed to be a routine Hollow extermination, Ichigo is critically wounded. Rukia manages to get him back to the Urahara Shop, but even after Inoue and Urahara's best efforts, Ichigo's life is still on the line-not from the physical wounds the Hollow gave him, but the effects that can't be seen. When someone can't remember their past, are the bonds they made still valid?
1. ThE StRaWbErRy

**Here's a new Bleach fic! **

**This first chapter is very short, I realized. I guess it's sort of a *teaser* (I know, I'm mean.)**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy. :)**

The Strawberry.

I Am The Best—2NE1

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo nodded, hand already reaching back to Zangetsu. "_Ah_, I've got it."

Rukia smiled, but not because she was happy. It was more of a Ichigo-you-better-get-through-this-one-alive-or-I'll-kill-you smile. As off-handedly as she could, Rukia added, "Be careful, _baka._"

Ichigo snorted, Zangetsu fully unsheathed. He turned back towards Rukia, a cocky smirk dancing across his determined, fierce face. "It's just a regular Hollow! Or do you think I'm some kind of weakling?" Without waiting for an answer to his rhetorical question, Ichigo sprang up into the air, bringing Zangetsu back as he yelled, preparing to strike the Hollow with a _Getsuga._

Rukia bowed her head, her small smile falling into a not-so-small frown as a strand of hair flopped in front of her face, hiding her worried expression. "No," she said to herself. "Not a weakling. It's just..."

Just what? Rukia herself didn't quite know; it was just a feeling in her gut, the feeling that something, no, everything would go wrong tonight. It shouldn't. It was just a regular Hollow, and this was Ichigo she was talking about. Ichigo who had defeated her own brother. Ichigo who had mastered Bankai in three days. Ichigo who no matter how much the underdog he was, always seemed to pull a victory out of his ass. Tonight he was fighting just a regular Hollow, no big deal.

So why was Rukia so worried?

She cast her violet eyes back up to the dark night sky just in time to see the bright flash of a _Getsuga Tenshou_. Rukia almost sighed in relief, thinking her fears had been wrong, before she realized that the raptor-like Hollow was still in the sky. Ichigo had missed? Where was he even? Rukia squinted, desperately searching the starlit sky for any trace of the orange-haired substitute shinigami.

One, two, three seconds went by with no sign of Ichigo. Four, five, six. What happened to him? Seven, eight, nine. She was taking too much time. Ten, eleven—There! Rukia's mouth fell open in silent terror and shock as she finally spotted Ichigo, falling from the sky and rapidly getting closer to the streets of Karakura town.

…

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


	2. Falling

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! ^^**

Falling.

Louder Than Thunder—Devil Wears Prada

Eyes closed, orange hair ruffled, he was falling. It felt slow. He was falling slowly, as if time had stopped or there was a parachute strapped to his back.

The black cloth of the shihakusho brushed against his skin as the wind blew past, a slight tugging sensation as the billowy garment waved in the wind, causing him to knit his eyebrows together, an angelically distressed expression on his pale face.

A cold, empty darkness enveloped him, pulling him deeper in its depths. A voice whispered to him, small but insistent. He could hear the steady hum of its quick sentences, but he couldn't understand the individual words. He wanted to open his eyes; he wanted to see the owner of the eerily raspy voice, maybe even answer it, call to it, but fear clamped its steel hand over his eyes and closed its iron fist around his throat.

Suddenly, a new voice called him, stronger, clearer, and more determined than the first voice. This new voice was distinctly feminine, and painfully familiar. He knew who that was, he know the owner of that voice. Her name was...was... Damn it! Why couldn't he remember? His train of thought was interrupted as the first voice, the whispering voice, increased its volume and pace, as if it was trying to drown out the feminine voice.

As if the female realized this, she called him once again, louder than the first time and so clear he couldn't have misunderstood her if he tried.

"Ichigo!"

Was that his name? Was that who he was? He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember anything.

…

**Another short chappie, I know.**

**I think they'll get longer eventually...probably..**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


	3. Saving Him

**Eh, eh, little bit longer chapter.. :)**

**Thanks for the reviews! ^^**

How To Save A Life—The Fray

Saving Him.

"ICHIGO!" Rukia screamed as she took off in the direction of Ichigo's falling body, her eyes wide and horrified. What had happened? Wasn't it just a normal Hollow? It looked just like a normal Hollow! Then why was Ichigo currently streaking through the sky, followed by a trail of his own blood? Rukia closed her eyes, brushing away the hot tears that slipped through her defense. What the hell was happening?

Rukia caught up to Ichigo, and, wrapping her arms around him, managed to slow his fall. They tumbled ungracefully down to Earth, landing with a crash in the middle of some street Rukia didn't know the name of. Rukia shifted her body, trying to put Ichigo in a position where she could stop the heavy bleeding from his chest while still having the ability to defend them both from the Hollow if it came back.

That anxiety fresh in her mind, Rukia scanned the skies, looking for any trace of the Hollow. After several minutes of tense, nervous searching, Rukia relaxed a bit. There was no sign of it. Whatever it was, it had disappeared, for now.

A worry cleared from her mind, Rukia looked back down at Ichigo, adapting his and her posture once again to focus on Ichigo's multiple and serious injuries. He was bleeding from his shoulder, bleeding from his forehead, bleeding from his chest, bleeding everywhere. Rukia ripped off the sleeve of her shihakusho, wrapping the black cloth around Ichigo's arm, successfully stopping the gush of blood there.

She looked Ichigo over once again. His injuries...she couldn't deal with them, didn't know how to. First aid might stop the bleeding for a couple minutes, but if Ichigo didn't get help from somebody who knew what they were doing, a real healer, like Inoue, soon, he would...

Rukia bit her lip, forcing her mind to jump off that train of thought. She _would_ be able to do this. She _would_ get him some help. She _would_ save Ichigo's life.

Hot, wet tears flowed down Rukia's shaking cheeks and landed with small splashes on Ichigo. Furious at herself for showing such weakness, Rukia brought her sleeve across her face, angrily wiping away her tears. "Why?" Rukia asked Ichigo, breaking down again. "Why did this happen? You were supposed to be the strong one...that's why I never worried about you...before now...Ichigo."

Smearing her sleeve across her face once more, Rukia stood up, staggering under Ichigo's weight. Closing her eyes and stopping the tears, she managed to flash-step away, one destination in her mind.

…

**Nope, don't own Bleach. :(**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**

**Reviews always appreciated. ;)**


	4. Healing Him

**Another chapter! :)**

**Thank you for the reviews, faves, watches, and views! ^^**

Healing Him.

Safe and Sound—Taylor Swift

His laborious breathing and pale, sweaty skin did not convince Rukia that Urahara and Inoue were telling the truth. Neither did the blood-stained bandages wrapped around every exposed limb. His pained expression and violent shudders weren't very convincing either. All in all, Rukia was not convinced of what she had been told.

"_Kurosaki-kun will be all right, Kuchiki-chan. He just needs some time to rest." Orihime smiled weakly as if her attempt to calm Rukia would actually work. It didn't, especially not when Inoue herself looked just as nervous as Rukia._

_ "Kurosaki-san is fine, Kuchiki-san. Inoue-san and I healed him the best we could. The rest is up to Kurosaki-san. He's always been strong. He'll be up and fighting Hollows again before you know it." Urahara rested his hand on Rukia's shoulder, squeezing it empathetically._

Rukia clenched her fists as she stared down at Ichigo, noticing all the things that contradicted what Inoue and Urahara had told her. His face was rigid, as if even in his sleep he was trying to hold back a shout of agony. Every once in a while his eyebrows, normally knitted together in pain, would un-knit themselves, and his face would settle into an expression of absolute hopelessness.

To Rukia, that was almost worse than the pained expression.

Just a Hollow...how had one Hollow delivered this much damage to Ichigo? Realistically, that Hollow shouldn't have lived ten minutes past they had shown up. There must have been something Rukia had missed, something she hadn't seen while she had been too busy worrying to actually watch out for Ichigo.

This was all her fault.

Loud, clacking footsteps and the whispering swish of cloth brushing against itself alerted Rukia to the entrance of another person in the room. She looked up to find a green and white striped hat, an unkempt shopkeeper, and noisy, elevated sandals.

"It's not your fault."

Rukia blinked.

Kisuke Urahara repeated his statement. "It's not your fault."

"I heard you the first time," Rukia snapped angrily, casting her eyes to the ground in shame. "Saying it twice won't make it come true."

"Unless it's true in the first place," Urahara countered.

"It's not," Rukia muttered, still not meeting the shopkeeper's eyes.

"It is." Urahara said with an unusual seriousness. Walking forward until he stood next to Rukia, his shadow darkening her small form, he opened his mouth to speak again. "It wasn't your fault. You shouldn't blame yourself." Rukia opened her mouth to protest, but Urahara smoothly cut her off. "I know what you're thinking. _'That was just a normal Hollow. It was my fault I wasn't watching. I should have protected Ichigo.'_" Urahara mimicked Rukia with a horridly high-pitched falsetto before returning to his normal pitch. "Don't insult Kurosaki-kun. If it was just a normal Hollow, he would've dealt with it and we wouldn't be in this position."

Rukia stared at Urahara in confusion. "What are you trying to say?" she demanded, her voice wavering dangerously.

His hat casting a shadow over his eyes, Urahara answered, his voice unusually grave.

"That wasn't a normal Hollow."

…

**I'm sorry-it seems that I just can't end a chapter without a cliffhanger...**

**Disclaime: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. I am not Kubo Tite. Therefore, I do not own Bleach. (Sometimes I really hate logic.)**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	5. My Fear

**Thank you for the reviews and faves! 3**

My Fear.

Cave—Three Days Grace

"What?" Rukia rubbed at her ears. She must have heard Urahara wrong. Not a normal Hollow? It had had the reiatsu of a normal Hollow. It looked like a normal Hollow. How could it not be a normal Hollow?

"The monster Kurosaki-kun fought was not a normal Hollow." Glancing down at Ichigo, Urahara took off his hat, staring straight into Rukia's eyes. "Kuchiki-san, it would be best if I could explain this to you somewhere else."

"Why?" Rukia immediately challenged, stubbornly scooting even closer to the unconscious Ichigo.

Sadness, pity, and sympathy crept into Urahara's gaze, and he lowered his voice to a steady whisper. "Just trust me. Can you do that?" he asked gently.

Rukia looked over her shoulder at Ichigo, staring at him while she thought. After a few seconds debate, she finally nodded. Urahara's shoulders relaxed noticeably, and he walked out the door, checking to make sure Rukia followed him. She did. After they both left the room, Urahara closed the door, leaving only Ichigo.

"Renji? Ishida? Sado?" Rukia walked in the room, surprised at the crowd of people she saw. She had been expecting a private conversation between just herself and Urahara. Instead, it was her, Urahara, Renji, Ishida, Chad, Inoue, and Urahara's three assistants—Ururu, Jinta, and Tessai.

"You didn't expect this to be a private conversation, did you, Kuchiki-san?" Waving his fan in front of his face, Urahara smiled. "My, I'm flattered!"

"Pervert," Rukia muttered, taking a seat at Renji's right side and Urahara's left. Renji stared at her as she sat down, but Rukia ignored his stare, instead focusing her gaze on Urahara. After a bit, Renji lost interest.

"Oi, this is about Ichigo, right, sandal-hat?" Renji loudly addressed Urahara.

The shopkeeper nodded. "Yes, this is about Kurosaki-san. In a fight with a Hollow last night, he was critically injured. Kuchiki-san brought him to my shop, and Inoue-san managed to heal his physical wounds to the point where his status is stable and there should be no more troubles."

"Then why are we here?" Renji demanded. "It's not the first time Ichigo's taken a beating, and if he's healed and fine, then I'm sure he'll just get back up again and go make another idiotic move."

Rukia glared at Renji, who shrank back under her furious gaze.

Urahara cleared his throat. "Ah. Kurosaki-san's _physical_ wounds might be healed, but that's not really what I'm concerned about."

An oppressive silence filled the small room, threatening to crush Rukia. There was more? Rukia had just been worried about Ichigo's physical wounds, but now Urahara was saying that wasn't even the issue?

"What do you mean?" Inoue asked, concern and fear prevalent in her voice as she brought her hand up to her mouth.

Urahara spoke solemnly. "I'm more concerned about the damage done _inside_ Ichigo. The injuries we can't see."

Rukia couldn't take it anymore. "What does that mean!?" she burst out, ignoring the stares from everybody in the room.

Urahara looked kindly at Rukia before addressing the whole group. "Before, I told Kuchiki-san that the Hollow Kurosaki-san was fighting wasn't a normal Hollow. As Inoue-san was healing Kurosaki-san, I noticed some strange reiatsu patterns within Kurosaki's own reiatsu. There were remnants of the Hollow within Kurosaki-san."

"Wha-?" Renji sputtered. Rukia, though silent, had thoughts that mimicked Renji's vocalization.

"The Hollow's special ability is to implant a piece of itself within its victim. I don't know how, or why, or what effect exactly this will have on Kurosaki-san, but I know that there is a much deeper pain than just the physical trauma that Ichigo is experiencing."

"How will we know what the Hollow did to Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked timidly.

Urahara bowed his head solemnly. "We won't know until Kurosaki-san wakes up."

...

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo Tite does, though.**

**Reviews always appreciated. :)**


	6. My World

**Thanks for the reviews, watches, and faves!**

My World.

Living In A Dream—Finger Eleven

A breeze gently blew, dancing among the tall skyscrapers, stealing from them as it did. Glassy blue fragments of the shattering buildings mingled among the wind, creating a wind that could, in fact, be seen. Glittering, it continued its dance until it blew out of his sight.

The orange-haired boy sat, his legs dangling over the side of the skyscraper. His current perch was mostly intact, only a few cracks in some of the windows, unlike the majority of the buildings—even as the boy sat watching, one mighty building gave its last groan before toppling, collapsing in on itself, the fragments falling, falling until they disappeared into the unfathomable blackness that seemed to be at the base of all the skyscrapers.

The orange-haired boy didn't seem particularly disturbed by this, nor did he seem disturbed by the other occupant in the strange, infinite world they both resided in. The second boy was remarkably similar to the first, only he was dipped in white; the only color to his tall, lean form was his shocking yellow eyes, surrounded by black sclera, which glittered malevolently as he screamed to the sky, swinging at invisible opponents to express his misdirected rage.

**"DAMMIT!"** Even as the yellow-eyed boy yelled obnoxiously, his companion paid him no attention, instead choosing to swing his legs back and forth as he stared at the clouds, his face revealing what appeared to be deep contemplation.

**"WHY THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING?"** Suddenly, yellow-eyes whirled on carrot-top. Stomping his way over towards the orange-haired boy, he leaned down, grabbing him by the collar of his black shihakusho.

**"This is your fault, isn't it?"** The yellow-eyed boy hissed, yanking on the orange-haired boy's collar even harder. **"You're the reason that I can't remember shit, aren't you?" **When the orange-haired boy didn't respond, instead continuing to stare blankly back, the yellow-eyed boy shoved him away. **"Ah, screw it. You're no help."**

The orange-haired boy picked himself up, and turned towards his albino companion. "Do you think it would hurt if I jumped and hit the bottom?" A strange innocence seeping into his expression, he further questioned his counter. "Would I die?"

**"How the hell should I know, king?" **The albino boy spit, a bitter note to the last word as he glared contemptuously at the ginger. Lowering his voice to a resentful mutter, he added, **"'Course, I don't know anything anymore…not since you showed up here again, with that weird reiatsu following ya."**

"I guess I'll just have to jump to find out."

The yellow-eyed boy turned in surprise, watching the orange-haired boy suspiciously. **"You'd never do it." **He said confidently, turning his head away, but watching his partner from the corner of one eye.

"How do you know?"

**"Because. For one thing, you're a damn coward. And even if you somehow found the guts to jump, you'd still never do it. Because of them."**

"Them?"

**"Yeah, those friends of yours. Those idiots that you'd give your life to protect."**

The orange-haired boy's expression changed in a second, the innocence leaving his face, replaced by a cold detachedness. "I don't have any friends," he said hollowly. "I have no memories. They're nowhere. How can I have friends, how can I know other people, if I can't even remember who _I_ am?"

The yellow-eyed boy raised his eyebrows. **"I guess you really are worse off than me. Can't even remember a damn thing."**

…

**No, I don't own Bleach~I just like to play with the characters.**

**Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


	7. My Flower

**Thanks for the reviews, watches, and faves!**

My Flower.

Iris—Goo Goo Dolls

"What the hell do you mean he hasn't woken up yet?" Rukia demanded, stepping unusually close to Urahara, making her 4'8'' frame look much more intimidating than it was.

The shopkeeper remained unfazed, responding calmly. "Kurosaki-kun hasn't woken up yet."

Rukia frowned, shifting her ferocious gaze down to her feet. "But it's been a week," she whispered, her voice a pitiful combination of hopelessness and desperation.

"Exactly." Urahara proclaimed, his voice strangely cheery for the rather gloomy situation they were both in.

"Huh?" Rukia's jaw dropped slightly, Urahara's strange reply completely throwing her.

Urahara smiled grimly. "I'll explain it after the rest of the 'gang' gets here," he said with a wink, his green coat flowing as he turned around without waiting for Rukia to follow. He already knew she would.

The group was smaller this time—Urahara, Rukia, Renji, and Uryu. Rukia suspected that Uryu had been called, even though Chad and Orihime hadn't, because he would be the only one that would get what Urahara was explaining.

"...And that's my plan." Urahara looked around the group as if he had just delivered an awe-inspiring pep talk.

Renji stared blankly at the shopkeeper, having understood almost nothing of what he had just heard. Uryu was staring at Urahara incredulously—he had understood what Urahara had just explained, but looked as if it was a crazy, far-fetched plan that had exactly 0.007% chance of succeeding. Which it very well might. Rukia, like Renji, had almost no idea what Urahara had just said; only, she was a bit better at hiding her cluelessness.

"Basically," Urahara stated, staring directly at Rukia and Renji, "one of us has to go in to Kurosaki-san's inner world."

"What?" Renji sputtered, glancing at Rukia to check her reaction. "Why?"

"To drag Kurosaki-san out!" Urahara smiled as he snapped open his fan and started waving it in front of his face.

"Why?" This time, Rukia asked.

"Because if we don't, most likely, Kurosaki-san will remain comatose forever."

Renji stared at Urahara blankly, but Rukia was starting to catch on. "The Hollow?"

"Correct, Kuchiki-san. The remnants of the Hollow's reiatsu are suppressing Kurosaki-san's reiatsu, literally trapping him inside his own inner world. It really is rather interesting—I've never seen a Hollow with an ability even close to this before." Sensing his companions' shock and anger at his nonchalant statement, Urahara cut himself off before he really talked himself into trouble.

There was a small silence where everybody just sat among their own thoughts.

Finally, Rukia broke the silence. "I'll do it," she said, her voice small but determined.

Renji turned towards Rukia. "Oi! Rukia, what're you doing? This is Ichigo we're talking about! Who knows what kind of scary crap is going on in that kid's head?" Renji laughed nervously as he attempted to dissuade Rukia.

Rukia wouldn't back down. "No, I'll do it," she said, staring at Renji. "Somebody has to."

Urahara smiled. "That's the spir—" he started to say, but was interrupted by Renji.

"I'll do it, then!" Renji proclaimed, placing an arm in front of Rukia's chest, a physical representation of his resolve not to let Rukia volunteer. "Somebody has to—so I will. It doesn't have to be Rukia."

"It actually might," Ishida suddenly spoke up, his glasses flashing in the poorly lit room as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. Everybody suddenly turned to look at him, questions on everybody's lips and confusion in their eyes. "A Shinigami's inner world is essentially a physical representation of their soul, correct?" Uryu looked towards Urahara for confirmation; the shopkeeper nodded. "Kurosaki has always had a...delicate soul."

Renji laughed. "Ichigo? Delicate? What are you on?"

Ishida chose to ignore Renji's jab. "Have you ever seen Kurosaki out of control?" he asked scornfully. "It doesn't take much. But back to where I was," Ishida said, his irritation with Renji at interrupting obvious. "I don't believe that it is a wise idea to send just anyone barging into Kurosaki's soul. It should be somebody who has a deep, intimate connection with him. Someone who has had contact with his soul before." Ishida looked pointedly at Rukia. "Kuchiki-san," he started, "I believe that you would be the best choice to send into Kurosaki's inner world—after all, you are the one who awakened his Shinigami powers in the beginning."

Rukia nodded. "Alright. I'll do it." Nobody could have looked away from her striking violet eyes, which were shining with hope and purpose. Rukia smiled to herself.

_No one will break my resolve. Ichigo—I will bring you back._

…

**Disclaimer: Bleach ain't mine.**

**Reviews always appreciated. :)**


	8. My Soul

**Thanks for the reviews, watches, and faves!**

**(Hope this lives up to your guys' expectations.. ^^')**

My Soul.

Undisclosed Desires—Muse

"Are you ready, Kuchiki-san?" Urahara stared at Rukia from underneath the brim of his green and white striped hat, a shadow covering his eyes, making his emotions impossible to read. Although, even if she could see his eyes, Rukia doubted that she would be able to read the shopkeeper.

Rukia nodded, staring at the odd device Urahara had given her, and was currently residing in the palm of her hand. It fit nicely in her hand, almost as if it was made for her—Rukia blinked, realizing something. It probably was. The silver object she held in her hand was the size of a small stone and was stone cold, but as if it was alive, it slowly pulsated, like a heart. A sudden thought crossing her mind, Rukia brought the device up to her chest, pressing it against her heart, comparing its beat to hers.

Their rhythms weren't even close to matching. The stone heart's beat was slow and irregular, its loud _thumps_ sounding desperate and pained. Rukia's heart beat strong and true, its cadence regular, like a clock.

Rukia was pulled out of her theorizing by Urahara's soft laughing behind his fan. Dropping the hand holding the stone down by her side, Rukia stared angrily at the floor, blushing. "Do you have to mock me in such an outright manner?" she asked in a controlled, but furious tone.

Urahara grinned, snapping his fan shut and tucking it in his robe. "I wasn't laughing at you," he said, stepping towards Rukia. "I was laughing at how intuitive you really are, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia looked up in surprise at the shopkeeper, her small hand clenching the stone heart tight. "What do you mean?" she asked, glancing down instinctively at Ichigo, who looked three times worse than he had yesterday.

Urahara's grin fell into a warm smile. "I mean, you were almost correct in your theory. You were testing to see whether the _aisu kokoro_ matched your own heartbeat, correct?"

Rukia nodded, but raised an eyebrow. "'_ice heart'_?" she asked.

Urahara nodded. "It would be a shame to create something so extraordinary and then christen it with a lackluster name, wouldn't it?"

"Not really," Rukia muttered, but she was ignored by Urahara.

"Here's how it works," Urahara suddenly started, walking away from Rukia and towards Ichigo until his shadow covered the boy's shuddering frame. "You take the _aisu kokoro_, hold it in your hand, and press it against Kurosaki-san's chest. Hopefully, it'll do its job correctly and you'll have access to Kurosaki-san's inner world."

"And if it doesn't do its job correctly?" Rukia questioned, giving the stone heart an extra little squeeze.

"You won't be able to access Kurosaki-san's inner world and the Hollow's reiatsu will eventually kill him, undoubtedly after some rather nasty side-effects, of course."

Rukia smiled grimly. "Right. No pressure." Leaning down, she pressed the _aisu kokoro_ against Ichigo's chest. Immediately after she did so, she gasped slightly. That's what Urahara had meant when he said Rukia was intuitive—the stone heart may not have matched Rukia's heartbeat, but it was synchronized with Ichigo's perfectly. She could feel each beat vibrate through her hand, its strength doubled as the two hearts beat as one.

Rukia closed her eyes as an uncomfortable tugging sensation appeared in her gut. The sensation got stronger and stronger, and Rukia bit her lip in an attempt to stifle her cry of pain. As the tugging became more intense, Rukia bit down harder on her lip, until eventually she tasted blood.

A cool breeze ruffled through her raven hair, and Rukia opened her eyes, and promptly wished she hadn't. While she was relieved that the sensation had disappeared, there was a new sensation—the sensation of imminent death. Staring down the side of the blue glass skyscraper, which ended in bottomless blackness, Rukia held on to the side of the building, her fingers white as she desperately tried to keep her grip. After some difficult maneuvering, Rukia finally managed to make it to a side of the building that wouldn't dump her off.

Wiping her hand across her bloody lip, Rukia stood up, leaving a small red puddle on the blue glass skyscraper as she did so. Rukia's violet eyes were wide with shock as she took in her friend's inner world. The sky was perfectly blue, interrupted by scattered white clouds. Skyscrapers, seemingly once magnificent, were cracked and shattered, crumbling into shards of blue glass before disappearing into the bottomless blackness below.

But what was most prevalent was the overwhelming feeling of emptiness. Rukia shivered—it was as tangible and cold as ice, almost as if Rukia had used Sode no Shiraiyuki. Suddenly reminded of her blade, Rukia glanced down to her hip—her Zanpakuto was there. Rukia doubted she needed it, but it never hurt to be careful. She never knew when it came to Ichigo.

Ichigo. Rukia blinked. A figure stood in front of her, more familiar to Rukia than the back of her hand. Tall, lean frame, spiky orange hair and amber eyes. But something was wrong. Rukia unconsciously took a step forward. Something was very wrong.

…

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach~Kubo Tite does.**

**Reviews always appreciated. :) (I don't bite...hard...)**


	9. My Heart

**Thanks for the reviews, faves, and watches!**

My Heart.

World So Cold—Three Days Grace

She stared at him, her violet eyes shining as she watched the man who she had left her heart with. The breeze ruffling her raven hair, slightly obscuring her vision, she stared cautiously at the defeated, slumped posture of the orange-haired boy as his long, black cloak waved strangely, not according to the gentle wind that blew through his inner world, but to a gust all its own, rippling and kinking in odd, irregular formations and wrinkles.

While his cloak was strange and alien, it wasn't what caught Rukia's eye and held it there. His gaze, his brown eyes, were distant, broken, and cold. Rukia closed her eyes, comparing the Ichigo in front of her with the Ichigo she knew, the Ichigo she kept in her heart.

The difference was almost too great to comprehend.

Rukia stepped forward, painfully aware of Ichigo's lack of reaction to her arrival. He simply stood on his sword—currently in bankai form, Tensa Zangetsu—staring mournfully at Rukia as his cloak continued its odd dance.

Looking around, Rukia doubted herself, doubted Urahara, doubted everything. Was it right of her to intrude in Ichigo's soul like this? It felt private, protected, like a secret that should never be shared. Did Urahara do everything right? What if Rukia was just making the problem worse by coming here? Shouldn't Ichigo's Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, be here somewhere? Why, then, was Ichigo alone in this barren, lonesome landscape? It didn't seem right.

But Rukia pushed away her doubts and pushed on.

Hesitantly, she took another step. Left, right. Keep moving forward. Ignore Ichigo's expression. Pretend everything's alright. Left, right. Rukia's hesitation became a small dance, her right foot always wavering a bit before she took a full step. Continuing her dance until she was a yard away from Ichigo, Rukia stopped.

"Ichigo?" Rukia finally took a chance, gingerly calling her friend's name. Ichigo turned towards Rukia, and instead of the overwhelming sadness Rukia had gotten used to, surprise was reflected in his eyes.

"Is that who I am?"

…

**Kubo Tite owns Bleach, not this gal.**

**Reviews always appreciated. :)**


	10. My Resolve

**...that last chapter was freakishly short...so here's another...**

My Resolve.

Numb—Linkin Park

Her supposedly unbreakable resolve wavered, dangerously close to snapping. The reassurance she normally received from seeing his strong, warm brown eyes and his angled, determined eyebrows was not given—in the spot where it normally resided, there was only a cold, empty hole that begged to be filled. But it could not. No matter how much she stared at him, the hole wouldn't be filled, it wouldn't go away. Staring in those eyes, now broken and lost, Rukia wanted to run, run far away and leave Ichigo behind.

How ironic that her strong, resilient resolve would be shattered by Ichigo, the one who she had made her resolve to save, the one she had sworn to protect.

If he even was Ichigo anymore. Rukia didn't know if he was the same man he was a week ago. And Rukia didn't know how she'd find that out—Ichigo himself didn't know.

Nobody knew.

They all remembered—except Ichigo. In the end, he was the only one who really mattered. What good was it if everybody remembered Ichigo, but Ichigo didn't remember himself or who they were? If only Ichigo remembered, Rukia could deal with that. If Ichigo remember who he was, then they could, worst case scenario, start over again, learn everything about each other one more time. Slowly, relationships would be rebuilt, and memories might even come back. But Ichigo didn't know who he was. How was Rukia supposed to fix her relationship with him when he didn't even know himself? How was she supposed to fix something when there wasn't even something to fix? There were no shattered fragments, no splintered pieces, not even any dust that she could sweep in a pile and pretend she had fixed it. There was nothing.

But she would have to find a way to make something from nothing. Rukia couldn't keep going if she didn't have Ichigo. She wasn't going to lose another friend. Not again; not because of her.

Rukia closed her eyes, determined to bring the real Ichigo back.

She opened her eyes, directing her fierce gaze straight at Ichigo. "I am determined to bring the REAL you back!" Rukia screamed, as if voicing her will would help it come true.

It seemed to have the complete opposite effect.

Ichigo turned towards her, utter hopelessness and confusion on his abnormally pale face. "The real me? Does that mean that who I am now is a fake? Doesn't exist?" His tone became harsher and louder as he continued. "Does that mean the person I am now doesn't matter?" Ichigo ended his question in a shout, his tone dangerously violent and desperate as if Rukia answered incorrectly, he would kill her, or more likely, kill himself.

Rukia bit her lip anxiously. She didn't know how to respond.

The orange-haired boy stared desperately at Rukia, his broken eyes desperately searching her nervous, unsure face. "Who am I?" he whispered.

Rukia closed her eyes, scrunching up her face in a desperate effort to prevent the tears that she felt pricking in the back of her eyes. How could he not know who he was? Rukia mentally slapped herself. Crying wouldn't help anything. She had to stop. Sniffling like a lost child was childish, and definitely not something that a member of the Kuchiki clan would do.

She would complete her mission.

Not only for herself, but for Ichigo and his family as well.

She had to.

…

**Still don't own Bleach. :(**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	11. Please

**Thanks for all the reviews, watches, and faves! *feels loved***

Please.

I Dare You To Move—Switchfoot

"Who are you?" Rukia repeated the question back to the orange-haired boy.

He only stared uncomprehendingly back, silent as the grave.

"You are Kurosaki Ichigo!" Rukia screamed. "You are Kurosaki Ichigo, the son of Kurosaki Isshin, brother of Yuzu and Karin, and my friend! We're _nakama_!" Rukia stared expectantly at Ichigo, waiting for his memories to come rushing back and for him to demand that Rukia wake him up.

There was nothing. No sudden revelation or epiphany, not even a faint _oh_. The only thing Rukia received was bitter disappointment, which hit her like a freight train. Ichigo watched her with careful amber eyes as she staggered, searching for something to lean on. He really was gone, wasn't he? Why did she come here? Had she really expected Ichigo to just snap out of it and remember anything? What a fool she had been.

Closing her eyes, Rukia fell to her knees, barely trying to hide the tears that fell from her eyes and stained her cheeks. They fell freely, creating small puddles on the blue glass skyscraper.

He watched her, awkward and unsure. Did this girl really know him? How was that possible? He didn't know her, had never met him in his entire life. Yet, she screamed at him so desperately, so overwrought with emotion, it was like they had known each other their entire lives, and he had suddenly disappeared. But that was impossible. He had nothing before yesterday. All there existed was the sky, its clouds, and the skyscrapers that slowly crumbled away and dissolved in the black.

But he couldn't deny the odd sense of familiarity that he sensed from this girl. Everything about her—from her shiny velvet hair and large, violet eyes to her black shihakusho and pure white sword—screamed familiarity.

He stepped off his sword, not noticing as it slowly crumbled away, and landed lightly on the surface of the blue glass. Walking over to her, he leaned down, placing a hesitant hand on her shoulders, attempting to comfort her. When she looked up in surprise, he took another leap, smiling a bit, even though the smile didn't quite reach his brown eyes. "Don't cry," he said, staring nervously at her, almost as if he was afraid of more tears.

Rukia stared at Ichigo, trying her hardest not to sniffle. Maybe she was desperate, maybe she was seeing things that weren't really there, but in his touch, in that one comforting hand he placed on her shoulder, Rukia could feel a little bit of the old Ichigo there. And it wasn't just because she felt his reiatsu—there was some of the determination, some of the desire to protect and grow stronger that Rukia had gotten so used to and started to associate with Ichigo. She didn't know how much she had missed it until she had felt it again.

Smiling, Rukia answered Ichigo, her voice stronger than before as she drew strength from Ichigo's touch. "I'll try not to."

"Good," the orange-haired boy answered, looking relieved.

Rukia stood up, and Ichigo mimicked her actions. "Let's go, then," Rukia said, turning away, back towards where she had entered.

"Where?"

"Back home." Rukia picked up Ichigo's hand, and started to pull him towards the exit.

He didn't follow. "But this is home," he protested.

Rukia shook her head sadly. "No," she said firmly, "it isn't. Ichigo, your home is with the people who care about you, the people you wish to protect and the people who wish to protect you. We've missed you, Ichigo, all of us. It's time to come home."

When Rukia started to lead again, Ichigo followed, but his forehead was still creased in thought and there was still a worried expression on his face. "How can I protect people I don't even know about?" he asked himself.

Rukia heard him, but ignored him. It wasn't a question she could answer. Instead, she silently pulled Ichigo through the exit, back to the real world and back home. As she did so, the stone heart thumped its last strong beat before falling into silence.

…

**I don't own Bleach. No no no no no.**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	12. Sorry

**Little bit longer chapter this time~**

Sorry.

Diary of Jane—Breaking Benjamin

"Ichigo."

"...Ichigo."

"Ichigo!"

Finally, after Renji shook his shoulder, the orange-haired boy turned around, his eyes wide. "Sorry," he said breathlessly, "I just—"

"Didn't know what your own name was?" Renji joked with a cocky smile on his face. The smile disappeared as Ichigo nodded solemnly. Rukia closed her eyes, restraining the urge to facepalm. Ichigo had come back two days ago, and after some quick recovery, had started the long process of trying to remember.

So far, it wasn't going the best.

"Okay," Rukia interrupted Renji and Ichigo, starting another round of the guessing game they had been playing lately to try and help Ichigo remember. "Who was the first Shinigami you met?"

Renji snorted. "Don't make it too hard, Rukia," he said sarcastically. Rukia gave him a nasty glare before turning back towards Ichigo, plastering a patient smile on her tense face.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "You..." he replied, in a tone that suggested he had similar thoughts to Renji.

The fake smile on Rukia's face melted into a genuine one. _Maybe we're finally starting to make some progress_, she thought, relief soaring through her veins. "Let's keep going," she said, sitting down on the ground next to Ichigo, legs folded. Renji did likewise.

"What's this?" Rukia held up a picture of a Chappy bunny with a hole in its chest and mean, slanted eyes.

Renji snorted. "A terrible drawing," he muttered. Rukia slapped him with the notebook before turning back towards Ichigo.

Ichigo frowned, staring at the notebook. "A Hollow," he said, sounding rather unsure.

"Right," Rukia nodded. "The Hollows are bad spirits; they have holes in their chests because they lost their chain of fate. To fill the hole, they eat human souls." Rukia would have gone into a more depth explanation, but Ichigo's brown eyes were starting to get that distant look they sometimes did when he started to disappear. Hurriedly, she moved on to the next question.

"What's the name of your Zanpakuto?"

Ichigo bit his lip, his eyes nervously flitting down to the ground. Rukia sighed; that was a habit he had recently started doing whenever a question made him uncomfortable, or he couldn't remember something that the rest of them considered obvious.

"Zangetsu," Rukia gently reminded him.

"Oh, right."

There was an awkward silence for a while, as Rukia mentally slapped herself for making Ichigo feel dumb and Ichigo mentally slapped himself for not knowing the answer.

"Who was the first Soul Society _Tai-cho_ you fought?" Renji interrupted, bringing both Rukia and Ichigo back to the game.

Rukia's throat constricted as Ichigo's gaze fell to the floor again and he started to pull nervously at the sleeves of his rather oversized sweater. Renji managed to keep his mouth shut for a minute before he couldn't take the oppressive atmosphere anymore. "Kuchiki," he prompted. "Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Right," Ichigo muttered, staring at the floor. Curling his hands into fists, Ichigo stood up, walking stiffly out the door. Both Renji and Rukia flinched as the door slammed shut behind him, and the sounds of loud, angry footsteps echoed throughout the Urahara Shop.

Rukia's head fell, her cropped hair falling forward and hiding her expression. Even so, Renji wrapped an arm around her, awkwardly comforting her. "Just give him time," Renji whispered, "Ichigo'll remember. He always pulls through somehow. Just give it time." Rukia nodded weakly and silently.

"Dammit," Ichigo muttered, fists clenched and body shaking. They were all there, with their hopes that he would remember and their expectations that he would suddenly become the Ichigo they all remembered and the Ichigo they all wanted. Ichigo suddenly lashed out at the outside wall of the shop, barely wincing when his fist hit the hard concrete. Ignoring the blood that stained his knuckles and ran down his arm, Ichigo sank down, his back leaning heavily against the wall.

Why couldn't he just remember?

The memories were obviously there—everyone else had them. They had to be there somewhere, somewhere inside him that he just couldn't find.

_Maybe they're in the same place that Zangetsu's hiding_, Ichigo thought bitterly, a bark of a laugh escaping him.

Rukia had told him about his supposed sword—what its name was, what it looked like, and how it was more than just a sword, how it was a spirit that resided his inner world. It didn't really seem likely; Ichigo had spent a hell of a lot of time in his inner world, and he didn't remember seeing anything but crumbling buildings and white fluffy clouds. But he couldn't reject the idea all together, either. Everything Rukia said had a ring of truth to it, like Ichigo actually had believed this stuff at one point, like he had actually knew this stuff at one point.

And that was the most irritating part. Somewhere deep inside, Ichigo knew that all this was real, and that he had been that person they all wanted so desperately. He wanted to be that person, wanted to be the Ichigo they all tried to get him to remember. But he just couldn't. He couldn't remember where that person was or even who he was.

_Damn._

_(..bleach..)_

His body instinctively leaped to the side as the keen whistle of a blade flying towards him reached his ears. His eyes instinctively searched for the blade, which had stuck in the concrete wall of the shop. His hands instinctively wrapped around the hilt of the small sword, and his body instinctively took a defensive position.

"Guess you're not completely pathetic!" Renji hollered, the smoke around him clearing, revealing his black shihakusho and Zabimaru, currently in shikai, in his hand.

Rukia burst out of the shop, screaming at Renji. "What the hell are you doing!?"

Renji ignored her, his gaze still focused on Ichigo. A wide grin split his face. "Your head may not remember," he said, "but your body does." Renji tilted his head at the blade Ichigo held firmly in his hand. "That there proves it. Most people would have ran, but you immediately went to the weapon to protect yourself."

Snapping Zabimaru behind him, Renji prepared for another strike. "I'm tired of using words to get you to remember, Ichigo!" he shouted. "Words never did shit for you! The only way you learned was through injuries and battle!" Renji swung Zabimaru towards Ichigo, a determined half-smile playing across his face.

"Let's go, Ichigo!"

…

**I do not own Bleach. :/**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	13. Hello

**New chappy!**

Hello.

Remote Control—Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Renji teased. "Feeling a little slow today?"

Rukia watched the battle silently, hugging her knees. She had complied with Renji's wishes to try and use Ichigo's muscle memory to get him to remember, using her red glove to punch out Ichigo's soul. After she had, she almost wished she hadn't. Ichigo had appeared in soul state, but clad in a white robe instead of a Shinigami's black shihakusho. Rukia doubted herself, and wished to end the battle, but still—this might be their only shot to get Ichigo to remember.

"What the hell's your problem?" Ichigo screamed back, straining his eyes to try and find the Shinigami in the rubble and the dust.

"Me? Problem?" Renji laughed. "Like you should be talking, Mr. Amnesiac."

Something inside Ichigo snapped. Logically, he should have been running, trying to get away from Renji. Comparing his small sword to Zabimaru was like comparing a toothpick to a steak knife. It was obvious who should be running. But Ichigo wasn't listening to logic. He had put up with a lot of crap lately, and he had reached his breaking point.

Yelling, he brought his pitiful blade behind him, and charged Renji.

Rukia watched the battle with wide eyes. Until now, Renji had had a total and unsurpassable lead on Ichigo. It was almost like the first time they had met—Renji's reiatsu had been far superior to Ichigo's. At least at first. But now, for the first time since he had been attacked by the Hollow, Ichigo's reiatsu had flared up.

Renji looked slightly nervous now, faced with an Ichigo that actually had the capability to fight. As Ichigo charged Renji, Renji backed up one step. Rukia smiled to herself. It definitely wasn't because of the blade Ichigo wielded—it was a pathetic weapon, something Renji had scrounged up in the depths of the Urahara shop.

As their swords clashed, Rukia allowed herself to get lost in the fight, focusing all her attention on their footwork, how their reiatsus sparked against each other, and how Ichigo actually seemed like himself.

Sparks flew as Ichigo brought his blade down on Renji, only to be blocked by Zabimaru. Renji grinned. "So you finally decided to show up, huh?"

"Shut up," Ichigo muttered, pushing down on Zabimaru, forcing his blade to the limit, before backing off, using a quick flash-step.

Renji's grin and Rukia's smile grew—Ichigo had made more progress in this 5 minute battle than the whole past week of the memory game.

"Are you ready for this, Ichigo!?" Renji brought Zabimaru around his head, and Rukia watched as it arced through the air, soaring towards Ichigo. Ichigo watched the blade, his feet moving to get out if its way, but Renji flicked his wrist at the last second, and the blade bit into Ichigo's shoulder, spraying blood.

Dragging the blade through, Renji brought it back, and it collapsed, snapping back together. Rukia bit her tongue to prevent her from crying out. Renji's plan was smart, but dangerous. Exactly mimicking Ichigo's first encounter with Renji was a good way to help him remember, but Ichigo's current state wasn't conducive to battle at all.

Even now, he knelt on the ground, squeezing his shoulder with one hand, blood dripping between his fingers and down his chin. Wincing, he examined his wound. It wasn't too deep, but he was losing blood faster than he thought he would. Standing up, he swayed a bit, his head light and dizzy.

"Had enough?" Renji jibed, standing confidently with Zabimaru resting on his shoulders.

Ichigo didn't reply. Turning his head to the side, he spit out blood, dragging the sleeve of his white robe across his chin. Throwing his now-cracked blade on the ground, he turned, back to Renji and Rukia.

"Oi! Ichigo! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Renji yelled.

Rukia narrowed her eyes, confused both by Ichigo's actions and his lack of response. He didn't seem like he was giving up—especially not when his reiatsu was stronger than it had been a few minutes ago. Ignoring his wound, Ichigo stood, back straight and muscles taught. His posture was the opposite of defeated—it was as if he was still fighting.

Rukia couldn't figure it out.

And then Ichigo turned around.

Renji laughed and Rukia gasped when they saw what he was holding in his hands—Zangetsu.

Grinning, Ichigo passed Zangetsu between his hands, his robe slowly fading to black, as if ink was spreading through it. Stepping forward, he called to Renji. "Want to see if I'm still as slow as you thought?"

Renji smirked, clearly pleased with how his idea was going. "Only if you're actually going to try this time."

In response, Ichigo disappeared, using flash-step faster than Rukia could keep up with. Suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere, Zangetsu clashing against Zabimaru with a metallic sound and a shower of sparks.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows tauntingly, smirking. "Is that really all you got?" he teased Renji.

Renji opened his mouth to reply with some smart-ass comeback, but before he had the chance, Zangetsu slid down, following Ichigo as he collapsed to his knees, shuddering.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed, running towards the orange-haired boy.

Renji dropped Zabimaru to his side, staring down at Ichigo, who was convulsing on the ground, hands clawing at his head.

"Stop it," he hissed between his teeth, looking up.

Rukia didn't need to ask what Ichigo wanted them to stop—by his black sclera and yellow eyes, it was obvious he wasn't talking to them. Renji started to back up, placing an arm in front of Rukia, trying to get her to do the same. Rukia stood her ground.

**"Sorry, partner, no can do!"**

…

**Lol, write a fic without Hichi? Is that even possible?**

**Me? Own Bleach? Nope~**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	14. Break

Break.

Break—Three Days Grace

"What the hell?" Renji stuttered, already taking a defensive stance in front of Rukia, blocking her with his body. Rukia leaned around Renji, trying to see.

"His hollow," Rukia whispered to herself. Her mind was going a million miles a minute. What had caused Ichigo to lose control so suddenly? Was it because of his weakened reiatsu and lack of memories? Rukia didn't think so-if that was the case, wouldn't something like this have happened much earlier? It had to be something else... It had happened so quickly after Ichigo had recovered Zangetsu...did it have something to do with that?

**"What's wrong? Suddenly ya stopped being so cocky!" **Not-Ichigo grinned wickedly; when he spotted Rukia leaning around Renji, he winked at her. Rukia flushed with anger, her cheeks tomato red.

Not-Ichigo just laughed, staring with amusement at Renji. **"Aren't you going to fight? Ichigo finally remembers Zangetsu 'n' me, and you're just going to stand there?"**

Renji didn't respond. Glancing protectively down at Rukia, who ignored his worried look, Renji adjusted his grip on Zabimaru's hilt, turning back towards his opponent.

Not-Ichigo frowned sullenly. **"How disappointing." **Bringing Zangetsu behind his head, he whispered with a smirk, **"Getsuga Tenshou."**

"Dammit!" Renji barely had time to shove Rukia out of the way and utter the swear before he was swallowed up by black and red reiatsu. Rukia watched, barely out of the path of the attack. As the reiatsu and dust cleared, Renji's battered form became painfully visible.

"RENJI!" she screamed, already running towards the bruised Shinigami.

Reaching his side, she panicked. Blood. How was there so much blood? It had only been one attack, but Renji looked like he had been run over by a semi. He had wounds everywhere, almost like...

**"You really shouldn't let your guard down, sweetheart."**

Rukia whirled at the sudden voice in her ear, but before she could do anything, Zangetsu bit into her shoulder, her blood spraying herself and Renji. Not-Ichigo's eyebrows tilted in a playful expression. **"I'm guessing this isn't going how you planned it would, eh?" **Rukia would have loved to shoot back a contemptuous reply, but her voice was lost. Spitting at Not-Ichigo, hate in her eyes, Rukia fell to her knees.

A chilling laugh cut through the air. Rukia shuddered; her voice might be broken, but her ears were functioning perfectly, even if she wished they weren't. Although it was twisted and demented, the laugh still resembled Ichigo's voice enough that it sent shivers down her spine. Not-Ichigo somehow managed to be too much like Ichigo and not enough like Ichigo at the same time. Rukia could feel her heart beating in her chest, so loud that everybody else surely could hear it too.

Her eyes fluttered, and Rukia struggled to stay awake. How could she, when her eyelids were so heavy? Too late, Rukia realized it was a losing battle-she had lost too much blood, and her eyes closed of their own accord.

Distantly, she heard voices.

"Rukia!" Was that...Renji? He was okay?

"I'm so sorry...Rukia..." Ichigo? Was that really Ichigo's voice?

Rukia frowned to herself in confusion as the sharp sound of a flashstep reached her ears. Who had arrived?

"Tai-cho!? What are—"

"Renji, take care of Rukia. Kurosaki Ichigo, you are being taken into the custody of Soul Society, under the orders of the Head Captain." Rukia knew that voice. _Nii-sama..._

_No._ Rukia struggled to open her lips, to vocalize her protests. _No. No. No no no. No!_ Her throat wouldn't work. Her voice was broken.

The last thing she felt was Renji's strong arms lifting her up before she fell asleep.

…

**I don't own Bleach~Kubo Tite does. **

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	15. Deny

**Here's another chapter for ya~**

Deny.

It Only Hurts—Default

"I don't know."

He was getting tired of answering their questions. Every time the answer was the same, so why did they have to ask so many? Couldn't they just be satisfied with the one answer they had?

"What's causing your amnesia?"

He had to literally bite back the smart-ass reply that immediately jumped to his tongue. Instead, he replied in the same monotone he had been using for the past hour, "I don't know."

The group of white-coated Shinigami frowned as they scribbled furiously in their notebooks. Anger bubbled up inside him—if he knew what was causing his amnesia, wouldn't he undo it? How could they ask him a question like that and then frown after he said he didn't know? They couldn't really expect him to know the answer, could they?

The questions kept coming. "What did the Hollow look like that attacked you?"

"I don't know."

One especially persistent Shinigami spoke up. "Surely you know. We're just asking what it looked like, the Hollow that attacked you!"

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't know."

Ichigo flinched at the slapping sound when one of the white-coats slapped their notebook down and stormed out of the small room. The rest of them followed suit, if not a little calmer.

He was alone. Alone in the small room, that was completely white. Even his creaky old chair was bleached, although black flecks could be seen where some of the white paint was peeling. The sterile room appeared clean and fresh, but it possessed a musky smell that betrayed its age.

Ichigo bit his lip. The silence in the room was so oppressive, he almost felt like screaming just to break it.

Thankfully, someone else broke it for him. "Oi, Ichigo," a voice greeted him the same time the owner's hand settled on Ichigo's shoulder, its grasp familiar and friendly.

Ichigo relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders. Finally, something he knew; he knew the owner of that voice. Looking up, he smiled. "Renji!"

Renji grinned in return, and his shoulders relaxed, as if Ichigo remembering his name was a relief. "So, how are you enjoying Soul Society's mental asylum?" Renji asked Ichigo, scorn evident in his voice.

Ichigo frowned. "That's what this place is?"

Renji nodded. "Tch, don't know why they had to keep you here. You're not batshit crazy or anything; you just have a slight case of amnesia."

Ichigo looked down, fiddling with his hands. Honestly, he was relieved that Renji didn't think he was some insane psychopath...even though he had every right to after what he had done to him and Rukia. Closing his eyes, Ichigo knit his eyebrows together.

Renji looked down at Ichigo, surprised to find a sudden dark cloud hanging over the teen. "Oi, Ichigo, what's wrong?"

Renji's eyes widened, taken aback at the intensity in Ichigo's pleading gaze. "I'm sorry!" he babbled. "What I did to you before...and Rukia...I don't know what happened! I just remembered Zangetsu, and then _he_ showed up, and everything faded to black and—"

"Shut up."

"What?" Ichigo asked, his jaw slack. He tried to see Renji's expression, to understand what was going through the Shinigami's mind, but Renji had turned away from Ichigo, and all Ichigo could see was the back of his black shihakusho.

"I said, shut up!" Turning back towards Ichigo, Renji spoke with an unusual fierceness. "Stop babbling like that! It makes me think that you really are batshit crazy! Do you really think I wasn't expecting something like that to happen when I fought you? Honestly, Ichigo, there's always something with you. I know how much of a crazy bastard you really are; I knew I was going to get beat up when I decided to fight you."

Renji grinned, and a warmth spread through Ichigo. Before he knew it, he was laughing, even if it was quietly.

"Is Rukia alright?" Ichigo asked Renji.

Renji nodded. "Ah, she's fine. She's conscious and stable, just needs a little time to rest."

Ichigo nodded to himself, relieved. Maybe everything could be alright. "Good."

Renji and Ichigo both jumped as the door burst open. Standing in the door way was the Captain of Squad 12 and his Lieutenant.

"Are you ready, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Mayuri sang.

…

**Please don't kill me-I know, I'm twisted...that was just cruel...**

**I am not the owner of Bleach. If I was, there would be a lot more Hichi~ Like, a lot more. Like-**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	16. Scream

**I feel...guilty about this chapter...**

Scream.

Sound of Madness—Shinedown

"No!" He bit his tongue to bite back the scream that bubbled up in his chest. He managed to successfully restrain it, only that little protest escaping him, but silent tears streamed down his cheeks as Mayuri's latest concoction seared through his veins. Almost immediately after the needle had pierced his skin, Ichigo had felt a burning pain that raced through his veins and set everything it touched on fire. Within seconds, his whole body had been consumed by the invisible flames.

Mayuri stood, calmly observing Ichigo, and every once in a while pointing to Nemu, who would emotionlessly note down the latest effects of their so-called "cure". So far, to Ichigo, all it felt like was moderated, recorded torture.

"Nemu," Mayuri addressed his assistant. "Bring me the reishi pills!"

Smug satisfaction filled Ichigo. There was nothing he could do about the solutions they injected into his body using six inch needles, especially not when they strapped his arms down to his chair, but he could refuse pills. He had a little control over this form of torture, and right now, even a little control was a huge source of relief.

"_Hai_, Mayuri-sama," her voice was flat and emotionless, like always. Ichigo was starting to wonder if she was some sort of cyborg or robot. She seemed to have no sympathy for him. Although, neither did Mayuri. But Ichigo was positive that he wasn't a robot—even if he didn't appear sympathetic, his face showed too much delight to be robotic.

"Quickly!" Mayuri screamed.

Nemu returned with a small plastic cup filled with small blue tablets. Mayuri took the pills from her without a word, and advanced towards Ichigo. "This is easy, boy," he said, holding out one of the pills. "All you have to do is swallow one of these." Smiling, he added, "It will be relatively painless."

Ichigo clenched his teeth together, turning his head to the side. There was no way in hell he was going to voluntarily take anything that sadistic bastard gave him.

"Don't be stupid," Mayuri snapped. "It's just one pill."

Ichigo refused to listen, smashing his teeth together even harder.

Sighing, Mayuri handed the cup of pills back to Nemu. "Nemu," he said, "crush these and mix them with eight milliliters of diluted saline."

Ichigo's amber eyes were wide as Nemu came back with another syringe. Leaning uncomfortably close to Ichigo, Mayuri whispered in his ear, "I told you that you shouldn't be stupid." Pushing down the plunger of the syringe, Mayuri watched as all eight milliliters of the liquid reishi pill entered Ichigo's bloodstream.

(.bleach.)

"What?"

Rukia sat up abruptly in her bed, sending her clean white sheets flying.

"Ichigo...has been put in the charge of the Captain of the 12th division." Renji stared down at the floor, guilt and frustration evident in his expression and voice.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" Rukia demanded, still not able to process Renji's news.

Renji nodded, sinking into the chair next to Rukia's bed.

"Renji...who ordered Ichigo to be put in the custody of _that man_?"

Renji shook his head. "I don't know. He just burst in through the door with Lieutenant Nemu and demanded that I leave."

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Surely you didn't just leave?"

Renji stood up hastily, placing his hands on Rukia's shoulders. "Rukia! He's a captain! If he says something, I have no choice but to obey his orders! What do you want me to do? March back there and demand that he stop?"

Rukia turned her face away from Renji stubbornly. "I'm sure you could have done something."

Renji shook his head in disbelief before sinking back down in his chair. "You're just being stubborn about this because it's Ichigo. You always lose your head when it's about him."

Rukia's head snapped toward Renji and her gaze was fierce. After searching his blank eyes for a few seconds, her frosty demeanor melted. "Sorry, Renji." Renji looked up in surprise. Swallowing her pride, Rukia continued. "You're right. When it comes to Ichigo, I don't see things clearly." Her violet eyes shining, she went on. "But isn't there something we can do? We can't just leave Ichigo with—"

Renji scoffed. "Did you really think I was going to just let Ichigo get tortured?" Standing up, he started to walk out of the room. "I'll find a way."

(.bleach.)

There was no feeling in his left arm. It was just dead weight, sitting there on the arm of the white chair. If it wasn't for the restraints, it would've flopped down and hung loosely by his side. He couldn't even twitch his fingers.

Ichigo grimaced. That wasn't even the worst. Amid all the needles and pills and pain, his hollow had decided that he was going to make a fight for control again. The first time, Ichigo hadn't expected it—had never experienced it before. But this time, he was ready, and was determined not to let _him_ control his soul again.

**Why are you fighting? **

Ichigo ignored the question, biting his lip as another round of injections sent a wave of nausea through him.

**You know I can get us out of this.**

Ichigo barked a laugh to himself. Mayuri looked up from his stopwatch, but didn't think anything of it. Apparently he was used to his "patients" descending into insanity. After watching Ichigo for a few seconds, he turned his attention back to his watch.

_Us? I don't see you getting tortured by Captain Freakshow._

**Dumbass. You're so thick sometimes, Ichigo. We share the same body. I'm feeling everything this bastard injects into us, too.**

_Stop referring to my body as 'us'. It's creepy._

**Oh, look! He's got another round of pain for us!**

The 'us' didn't go past Ichigo, but he was too preoccupied with trying to find out what Mayuri had planned to bicker with his hollow.

**Goodie. Another syringe.**

For once, Ichigo agreed with his hollow. The latest "cure" looked like one part green slime mixed thoroughly with one part mud.

**Combine that with a seven inch needle, and the fun's only beginning.**

Ichigo closed his eyes as the needle bit his arm. Surprised, he looked down at the injection site. With all the others, there had been an immediate blast of pain right where the needle had pricked him. Now, there wasn't even a tingle.

Mayuri pressed the start button on his stopwatch. Ichigo's relief drained away at the same rate as the color in his face did. It was a delayed pain, that was all. He could feel the sweat dripping down his face as the seconds ticked away. How long would it take?

**Eight.**

**Nine.**

_Shut up._

**Ten.**

_You're not helping._

**Eleven.**

**Twelve.**

_Just stop._

**Thirteen.**

**Fourtee—**

Both Ichigo and his hollow hissed in pain at the same time as the medicine took its effect. His fingers crushed the weak wood of the chair as the concoction ripped at his chest. It felt like he was eroding, just dissolving away.

Mayuri grinned at the success of his invention. "Where does it hurt?" he asked, like some sort of demented doctor.

Ichigo didn't answer. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't. The pain was too great, all his senses were busy trying to comprehend it. He couldn't have said his own name if he wanted to.

**Son of a bitch**!

Ignoring Ichigo's no-reply, Mayuri put his ice-cold, white hand on Ichigo's left arm and applied pressure. When Ichigo just stared at him blankly, his eyes betraying the pain, Mayuri moved on. Placing his hand on Ichigo's right arm, he repeated the process, adding slight pressure. Ichigo still didn't respond.

Then Mayuri placed his hand on Ichigo's chest, and pressed lightly.

Everything exploded.

The pain in his chest increased ten-fold, and the only thing Ichigo could see was stars. Blood trickled down his chin as he bit down on his lip. He managed to bite back the scream for a few seconds before he couldn't take it anymore. His own pain, now audible, echoed throughout the small white room, loud enough so the scattered Shinigami outside the building stared at it in alarm and concern.

Mayuri grinned triumphantly. His cold, long fingers pulled at the edges of Ichigo's shihakusho, until his upper body was exposed.

Along with the gaping hole in his chest.

…

**Cliffie? I haven't had one in a while, so...**

**So, was this a Torture!FAIL or a Torture!WIN? I'm not quite sure..**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**

**Bleach and its subsequent characters aren't mine-they're still in the clutches of Kubo.**


	17. Hide

**So sounds like last chapter was a Torture!Win. *phew***

Hide.

Her Name Is Alice—Shinedown

For a few seconds, all Mayuri did was stare at the hole in Ichigo's chest. Ichigo could feel the researcher's eyes on his chest, could feel how sharp and precise his gaze was. Mayuri stared at the dark gap, and his eyes followed one of the dark threads that originated at the hole and snaked its way up Ichigo's chest, almost reaching the base of his neck.

Then his face split into a wide grin. "Fascinating!" he cried. "Simply fascinating!"

His excitement so tangible Ichigo could almost feel it himself, Mayuri turned towards Nemu. "Nemu!" he snapped. "Prepare this boy for examination!"

**Not gonna happen.**

Ichigo silently agreed, sharing a mutual terror with his hollow.

"_Hai_, Mayuri-sama."

Mayuri turned back towards Ichigo and started to laugh. "Don't be scared," he addressed Ichigo. "After I'm done, you'll most likely still be alive."

Ichigo shuddered, unable to tear his gaze from the Captain's yellow eyes.

**After I'm done with you, you'll be lucky if ****_you're_**** still alive! **Ichigo's inner hollow hissed, clearly defensive.

_Guess I've finally found someone you're afraid of._

**Chih! I ain't scared of him.**

"Now," Mayuri said, drawing Ichigo back to the real world, "where should I start?"

Ichigo's eyes danced to the two tools Mayuri held in his hand—a permanent marker and a scalpel.

"Don't," he breathed, his terror suffocating him and preventing him from speaking any louder.

"It won't hurt that much, just a few cuts," Mayuri ignored Ichigo's plead, uncapping the permanent marker and drawing a long line on his chest, just above the dark hole. Ichigo grimaced—both the marker and the hand that held it were ice cold.

"We'll start here," Mayuri said, more to himself than anybody. "And then when Nemu has the examination table prepared, we'll be able to make some deeper cuts."

"That's not deep enough?" Ichigo's voice was dangerously close to cracking.

Mayuri laughed trivially, as if Ichigo had asked a silly question. "That's barely a start! You should be grateful, boy, I'm going easy on you. I wouldn't want to ruin such an interesting specimen."

Ichigo closed his eyes, as Mayuri raised the scalpel, preparing to start his first slice.

**One.**

** Two.**

_If it wasn't helpful the first time, why would you do it again?_

**Three.**

** Four.**

** Five.**

_What are you even counting to?_

**Six.**

** Se—**

Ichigo braced himself for the knife when his hollow stopped mid-number, but there was nothing. He waited. One second, two seconds, three passed by and he still didn't feel the metallic bite of the scalpel. He cautiously opened his eyes, and was surprised to see that Mayuri had backed away from him, and wasn't holding the scalpel anymore. Instead, he was staring expressionlessly at the door. Ichigo wished he could see what he was staring at, but his back was to the door and the restraints made it impossible for him to turn around.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri Tai-Cho, Kurosaki Ichigo is no longer under your control."

Ichigo stiffened. He knew that voice. Why was she here? Panicking, his gaze dropped to the gaping hole in his chest. His mind flashed back to when they had played the memory game.

_"What's this?" Rukia held up a picture of a Chappy bunny with a hole in its chest and mean, slanted eyes._

_ Ichigo frowned, staring at the notebook. "A Hollow," he said, sounding rather unsure._

_ "Right," Rukia nodded. "The Hollows are bad spirits; they have holes in their chests because they lost their chain of fate. To fill the hole, they eat human souls."_

_ Ichigo's faded away as a blank look swept into his brown eyes. Almost unconsciously, his fingers trailed over his chest. Hollow...hole...bad spirits... He had known something was off about the hole in his chest before, and had shied away from telling Rukia or anybody else, but Rukia's latest statement had solidified his choice to keep it a secret. How would she react when she knew that he wasn't the Ichigo she knew and wanted, but that he had a gaping hole in his chest, too? How would she react when she found out that he was more like a Hollow than Ichigo?_

Panic filled his large brown eyes, and he struggled against his bondage. Mayuri shot him a quick glance, probably wondering why he had suddenly decided to struggle, but Ichigo ignored him. If only he could free his one arm—then he could pull his shihakusho back up, and Rukia would never know about the hollow secret he kept to himself, hidden beneath the black fabric of his shihakusho.

As much as he struggled, the restraints were too strong. Ichigo slumped against the back of the chair, exhausted and frustrated. _Dammit._ Rukia was going to find out...they all were going to see how much of a freak he really was. Would they even want anything to do with him once they found out that he had almost no resemble to their Ichigo at all?

"Kurosaki Ichigo is under my jurisdiction," Mayuri's chilling voice echoed in the small room, dangerously emotionless. "The Gotei 13 gave him to me to try and cure his memory loss."

"So you're way to heal is by keeping him in a mental asylum and treating him like a specimen for dissecting?" Rukia shouted.

"Rukia," Renji warned her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mayuri ignored her outburst. "You two don't have the authority to take this boy out of my custody. As a captain, I outrank both of you."

"The same cannot be said for me." Another figure stepped forward, coming out of Rukia and Renji's shadow. Ichigo frowned. That wasn't a voice he recognized, yet there was something familiar about the cool, calm cadence of its speech.

"Kuchiki," Mayuri hissed. Ichigo's eyebrows knit together. Was that the voice's name?

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," Kuchiki said. "Kurosaki Ichigo is now under my authority, by the orders of Head Captain Yamamoto Genryusai."

Mayuri glared at the people behind Ichigo's back for a while before snapping his fingers. Immediately, Nemu walked over to Ichigo and released his arms from the chair. Rushed footsteps behind him told Ichigo that he had to hurry. Hastily, he leaned forward, yanking his shihakusho up around his shoulders. His fingers fumbled.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed, smiling.

Ichigo jumped, hastily pulling his shihakusho all the way up, once again covering the dark hole and the black threads that snaked around his body. Rukia frowned, and Ichigo froze. Had he been too slow? Had Rukia seen the mark of a hollow on him? He sat tensely, just watching Rukia's face.

After a moment, Rukia's smile spread across her face again, and she stepped towards Ichigo, briefly wrapping her arms around him. She pulled back as Renji and the man Mayuri had called Kuchiki appeared in Ichigo's vision.

Renji grinned, standing much more rigidly than usual. Ichigo frowned. Did it have something to do with Kuchiki? He was a captain.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Kuchiki said, his cold grey eyes staring directly into Ichigo's amber eyes. "You are now under the jurisdiction of the 6th division. I have placed my lieutenant, Abarai Renji, in charge of you. You are to listen to any orders he gives you." With that, the cold and formal captain walked out of the room, his scarf trailing behind him.

(.bleach.)

Rukia stared down at her hand, her entire frame shaking. She wanted to deny what she had just seen, wanted to forget it and pass it off as a hallucination, her mind playing tricks on her, but she couldn't. Not when she had seen it with her own eyes and felt it with her own hand. When she had first seen it, it had been out of the corner of her eye, and she had doubted herself. After all, why would Ichigo have a hole in the middle of his chest? He wasn't a hollow, and his hollow wasn't even in control. And, why would he have a hole in the middle of his chest with black threads leaking out of it? Rukia had disregarded it, simply glad that they had removed Ichigo from Mayuri's experimentation. But then she had felt it. In that one small moment when she had embraced him, her hand had brushed against his neck. And she had felt it. It had been cold, like ice. Her hand had brushed against one of the black threads she had seen out of the corner of her eye. How was she supposed to disregard something that she had not only seen with her own eyes, but felt with her own hands?

Rukia shook, unable to understand.

…

**Kubo still owns Bleach, the proof of which is in the massive trolling of the most recent Bleach chapter. **

**[Insert spoiler here]**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	18. Uncover

**This quick update is brought to you by ShiroHichi891, who threatened to stalk me if I didn't update soon...**

***nods* 'nuff said.**

Uncover.

Give Me A Sign—Breaking Benjamin

Opening his eyes, he was immediately rushed with a sense of _home._ Tall blue skyscrapers, a blue sky dotted with wispy clouds—that was what he was used to. Sitting up, he looked around himself. Any minute now, he should be joined by the other people that lived in his soul.

**"Yo."**

_Right on time._ Ichigo stood up, turning towards the voice, expecting the piercing yellow eyes and black sclera, prepared for the albino counterpart of himself.

He was not prepared for the black snakes that wrapped around his hollow's arms and neck, his face perilously close to being the next target.

"What the hell is that?" Ichigo sputtered.

**"What do you mean, what the hell is that? Did you have another case of amnesia, or are you just brainless?" **The hollow stared at Ichigo, his eyes narrowed. **"Don't know what you're freaking out about—the only reason I've got 'em is cuz you got 'em."**

Ichigo frowned. "Yeah, but they're not that...noticeable," he finished lamely, unable to come up with a better description. "They're not even visible under my shihakusho."

Ichigo shrank back as his twin barked out a laugh. **"And when was the last time you checked 'em? They've been like this for a while!"** Shiro grinned. **"You're just upset because you can't hide them from your little Shinigami friends anymore."**

"Why are you so happy about them?" Ichigo yelled, confirming the truth of his hollow's statement by trying to change the subject. "Last time I checked, you didn't seem to like control that much!"

His hollow arched one eyebrow. **"Finally remembering something, are we, Ichigo? It's about damn time. Took you long enough to remember me an' Zangetsu." **Shiro said, spitting on the ground malevolently.

"You didn't answer my question!" Ichigo protested. "Or are you dancing around it on purpose? You're probably just as scared of them as I am." Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest, quietly confident that his hollow wouldn't be able to ignore a goad like that. He was right.

**"I ain't scared of them!" **he shouted, laughing. **"Unlike you, I'm not a moron. Why would I be scared of something that's to my benefit?" **Holding up his arm to show Ichigo the black threads on it, Shiro continued. **"See these threads? They're the physical manifestation of the Hollow's poison slowly spreading through your body! Snaking through your body, they're corrupting everything they touch!" **Smirking, he added, **"Before you know it, Ichigo, you'll be a Hollow."**

Ichigo stared in shock and horror at his hollow. The selfish bastard didn't care one way or another as long as he got control of Ichigo's body. Ichigo opened his mouth, about to scream in protest, but stopped. If the black snakes were implanted by the Hollow who attacked him, the Hollow's poison, then were they really to Shiro's benefit? Would his inner hollow really get control of Ichigo's body, or would he just be shut inside along with Ichigo, lost in the depths of his soul?

Ichigo didn't know. But he didn't have to—he just needed to convince his inner hollow that it was true.

Ichigo scoffed. "You really are an idiot. If these," Ichigo said, exposing his neck and showing the black thread that was most noticeable, "are really to your benefit, then how come they're wrapped around you, too? If they're supposed to help you get control of my body, then how come they're trapping you, too?" Ichigo shook his head. "Can't you see? If this keeps up, neither of us will win! The only one that will win will be that pathetic Hollow that shoved a piece of itself in us in the first place!"

Ichigo watched, terse, as his albino twin stared at him, thinking through what Ichigo had said. For a moment, Ichigo thought he had done it, thought he had convinced Shiro. And then that moment was over.

His hollow laughed. **"Chih. Do you really think I' m dumb enough to fall for that? That was a pathetic attempt, Ichigo. And I thought you had a better fight than that."**

Ichigo, blinked, about to try again, but the world disappeared from beneath him, everything fading to black.

(.bleach.)

Gasping, he sat up, his hair plastered to his forehead and his back sticky with sweat.

_Damn._ And he had been so close, too...if only he had had a couple minutes more...

Ichigo sank his head in his hands, trying to push his sweaty hair off his forehead. As something rustled in the corner, Ichigo realized he wasn't alone. Looking around the room, he tried to see who else was with him. He couldn't see anything—it was almost pitch black. Tentatively, he called out. "Who's there?"

The rustling sounded again, and this time Ichigo was able to pinpoint his companion's position. Watching the spot carefully, he squinted his eyes until he was able to see the intruder.

Rukia.

Ichigo's squinted eyes widened. "Rukia! What...What are you doing here?"

Rukia stood where she was. "I know," she whispered.

Alarm bells went off in Ichigo's head, and a sinking feeling started in his stomach, but he tried to stay calm. "Know what?"

"Don't play dumb," Rukia snapped. "Fool, did you really think that nobody would notice?" Rukia took a step forward, her violet eyes pleading. "We're your friends, Ichigo! You can trust us, rely on us! Why didn't you tell me...us?"

Ichigo's back stiffened, and he automatically glanced down to his torso.

It was there, uncovered and out in the open. The gaping, ugly hole in the center of his chest, complete with its horrifying black snakes, out and visible to the world. Scrambling, he tried to find his shirt. He didn't remember taking it off. Hadn't he purposefully left it on when he went to bed so that something like this wouldn't happen?

"Here."

Ichigo stop scrambling, and looked over at Rukia to find her holding his shirt in one hand. He stared at her in disbelief.

"You...took off my shirt while I was sleeping?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

Even in the darkness, Ichigo could tell Rukia was blushing. "It's not like that!" she protested. "I had to see...had to check...make sure I wasn't seeing things..."

Ichigo's disbelief increased. "You mean you knew before tonight? You saw it...them...before you took off my shirt?"

Rukia blushed again at Ichigo mentioning what she had done, but she nodded solemnly. "Yesterday," she started to explain, "when I embraced you momentarily...my hand brushed against...against one of those..." Rukia trailed off, not sure how to describe the black threads that gave off such a Hollow-like reiatsu.

Rukia watched as Ichigo's fist tightened, pulling at the sheets. "Of course," he said stiffly, avoiding Rukia's eyes.

"Why would you keep it a secret!?" Rukia burst out, choking up despite herself.

Ichigo looked at Rukia, his face twisted with shame and guilt. "Why would I keep it a secret?" he repeated Rukia's question. "Why _wouldn't _I keep it a secret? Why would I want to tell you that I had a damn hole in my chest, like a Hollow? Why would I want to tell you that not only didn't I remember any of my past or any of who I was, but that I also was more like a Hollow than the Ichigo you all seemed to want so desperately!? Why the hell would I want to admit that I am _nowhere_ near the person you all think I am?"

Rukia's mouth fell open, and a little noise of surprise escaped her. Ichigo still stared at her, his amber eyes pleading, desperate, and tortured.

"Is it so wrong that I wanted to pretend, if only for a little longer, that I could still be the person that everybody wanted?" When Rukia didn't reply, Ichigo answered his own question. "I guess it is, huh? There's no way I'll ever be able to be that person. I guess it was only a matter of time until everybody realized that."

Ichigo smiled bitterly at Rukia. "Congratulations," he said, "you're the first."

…

**A fan-fiction is not a fan-fiction w/out a little bit o' angst.**

**Kubo Tite STILL owns Bleach, despite my generous offers to take it off his hands..**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	19. Act

**Sorry, guys, short chapter again. Promise the next one will be longer~**

Act.

Never Be The Same—RED

"What are you going to do?"

Rukia blinked. "Huh?"

"What are you going to do?"

Rukia stared at Ichigo. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm asking you what you're going to do, not what you should do." Ichigo looked at Rukia, looked at her levelly, not diverting his gaze as he had before. Rukia searched his amber eyes, trying to see what was going on inside his head, but they offered no clue. Rukia couldn't tell if those brown eyes held a lot of emotion, or none at all. They were curiously blank, in a way they had never been before.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Rukia said neutrally.

"You've got to do something!" Rukia flinched as Ichigo suddenly raised his voice, his eyebrows drawing together in a furious scowl.

"Why?" she asked, matching his volume, unconsciously leaning closer. "Why do I have to do anything!?"

"Because somebody has to!"

Rukia scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "Why don't you? You're the one with the hole in their chest!"

"Because I don't know what to do!"

Rukia's quick intake of breath marked the end of their yelling. Ichigo had stopped looking at Rukia, instead staring at the sheets which he crumpled in his hands, his whole frame shaking. "What am I supposed to do?"

Rukia couldn't help but look away. There was something in Ichigo's broken whisper that caused her to be ashamed—ashamed of herself and ashamed of Ichigo. What were they doing? Nothing. Did they have a plan? No. Were they going to fix this? Could it be fixed?

Rukia stood up silently, heading towards the door. Ichigo's head snapped up. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Rukia looked over her shoulder at him. "Anything but nothing."

Ichigo laughed. "Good luck with that."

Rukia smiled back before walking out of the room. Her feet padded quietly on the wooden floor, sure of their way even in the darkness.

"Thanks."

Rukia closed her eyes, sighing. She needed all the luck she could get.

(.bleach.)

The first faint rays of morning shone through the building, illuminating Rukia's way and dancing off her raven hair. Her mind and resolve were made up. She had had enough of doing nothing. She was going to do something, even if the consequences were most likely going to be severe.

She walked with her head down, her eyes seeing but not as she ran through what she would say in her head. What would be the best way to phrase it? Should she warn him first, or just get to the point? Should she mention specific names or keep it general first to give him time to process it?

Rukia was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize she had walked into somebody until he chastised her.

"Oi! Watch where you're going, Rukia!"

Rukia blinked. That voice belonged to the exact person she needed to talk to. Renji grinned at Rukia before starting to go on his way again. Rukia grabbed his arm, successfully securing his attention. Frowning and eyebrows knit together, Renji looked at Rukia. "Something wrong?"

Rukia bit her lip. "No, er, yes," she stuttered.

Renji turned his body towards Rukia, immediately ready to listen. "What's going on?"

Rukia took a deep breath. "Can I talk to you about it somewhere else?" she asked.

Renji frowned a bit, but nodded. "Sure."

…

**No, I don't own Bleach-That's Kubo Tite.**

**Reviews always appreciated, even if it's just a Chad. (eg-*nod approvingly*) ;)**


	20. Escape

Escape

Cuckoo—Adam Lambert

_Announcement. Emergency Announcement. The Shinigami Daiko Kurosaki Ichigo has escaped. His capture is a top priority for all members of the Gotei 13. This is an Emergency. These orders are top priority._

"I don't think this is going to work!" Renji shouted as he ran, glancing over at the orange-haired Shinigami that ran beside him. The only response he got was a maniacal laugh. Renji furrowed his brow, but ignored it, instead choosing to focus on increasing his speedas he pushed his flashstep to the limit. His companion did the same.

So far their crazy plan was working. Renji hadn't heard about any complications from Rukia, so he assumed everything was going smoothly there, too. But for how much longer?

"Halt!"

Renji skidded as he tried frantically to stop as the captain of the 2nd division suddenly appeared in front of him, backed up by what seemed like almost the entire Stealth Force. Soi Fong smirked as she stepped towards Renji and his ginger companion, who was letting his hair cover his face as he stared down at the ground.

"You thought you could escape, did you?" The 2nd division captain yelled, despite being relatively close to the pair she was addressing. Soi Fong looked at the orange-haired Shinigami, frowning. "Respect your superiors and stand up straight! There's no point in covering your face, Kurosaki Ichigo. Everybody knows who you are with that ridiculous orange hair."

There was no response, except for Renji's snort. Soi Fong turned on him harshly, opening her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the alarmed shouts of her own men as a massive reiatsu suddenly flared up directly behind Renji.

Soi Fong stared past Renji, her brown eyes wide. "What do you think you're doing, Zaraki Kenpachi?"

Kenpachi grinned. "Fighting you!"

Soi Fong cursed as she drew out her Zanpakuto, barely avoiding Kenpachi's silent, nameless sword. He laughed as he pressed her back, ignoring the Stealth Force as they launched into battle, all flash-stepping towards a single target.

"You look so ugly in that wig, Ikkaku!" Renji and his companion looked behind them as the sudden voice sounded from the top of one of the Seretei's buildings. Yumichika only stopped to grin before unsheathing his Zanpakuto. Whispering the release command for his Zanpakuto, the 11th squad Shinigami charged into battle, following his captain's example.

"Shut up!" The orange-haired Shinigami suddenly shouted, in a voice that was definitely not Kurosaki Ichigo's. As he started angrily towards Yumichika, the orange wig fell off, revealing Renji's true companion.

"Idiot!" Renji hissed, turning angrily towards Ikkaku. "You're supposed to keep the wig on! That's the whole point of a diversion!"

Ikkaku muttered something incoherent under his breath as he kicked the wig away.

"Madarame Ikkaku?" Soi Fong's outraged voice suddenly rang behind Renji's and Ikkaku's ears. Renji brought Zabimaru up, gritting his teeth as he blocked Soi Fong's strike. "So it's a diversion then," the 2nd division captain hissed as she pushed against Renji's sword. Renji laughed tersely in reply.

"Worked like a charm, wouldn't you say?" he taunted.

Soi Fong narrowed her eyes before darting away from Renji, addressing her forces. "Fall back!" she shouted. "It's a diversion! Kurosaki Ichigo is escaping somewhere else! Move it!" she ordered, before flash-stepping away.

The Stealth Force prepared to follow her, but the 10th divison captain's massive reiatsu knocked them off their feet before his sword even reached them. "I don't think so!" he shouted, laughing. "You weaklings haven't even finished your battle with me yet!"

Renji glanced at the Stealth Force, pitying them, before flash-stepping away.

(.bleach.)

"Are you alright, Ichigo?" Rukia's voice, even though she was yelling, was unusually quiet, as the wind ripped her words right out of her mouth.

"I'm fine," Ichigo muttered as he increased his speed.

Rukia had been asking Ichigo his status every five minutes ever since they had put their plan into action, Rukia and Ichigo running one way, with Renji and Ikkaku running the other. At first, Rukia had seemed comfortable next to Ichigo, but even that small glimmer of their old familiarity had disappeared after Ichigo had suddenly stopped, the white shards of a hollow mask suddenly starting to form over his scowling face. The struggle had lasted for only a second before Ichigo had regained control, but Rukia had seen enough to be convinced that the hole in Ichigo's chest was more than just empty space.

He wouldn't ever let Rukia see it, but even now as he ran, Ichigo was having trouble beating back his hollow.

**Ya know you wouldn't hafta be running if you just let me at 'em for a second.**

_Right, and then instead of me running, it'd be the entire population of Soul Society._

Ichigo could almost see his hollow shrugging. **Better them than us.**

Ichigo grit his teeth in frustration. _I thought I told you to stop saying us._

"Ichigo?"

Without even looking at her, Ichigo replied tersely, "I'm fine."

"Then stop talking to yourself, fool," came Rukia's sharp retort.

Ichigo sighed to himself as he ran. He knew Rukia was far from clueless, but he still thought me might have been able to fool her, if not for a little bit. Apparently he possessed no acting skills whatsoever, and was no more mysterious to Rukia than an empty broom closet.

"We're almost to the Senkaimon Urahara prepared for us." Rukia's voice was stiff and formal, and she kept her gaze in front of her as she ran.

"Looks like we'll make it out of here without a hitch, then," Ichigo prompted awkwardly, trying to loosen the tension between Rukia and himself.

"Don't be so certain."

**Looks like ya spoke too soon. It's not too late to reconsider, though!**

_No._

**It'd take me five seconds and we'd be outta here.**

_Let me think...Yea—No._

**Stubborn ass.**

Rukia started at the sudden appearance of Soi Fong. Ichigo, sensing her alarm, stopped as well, trying his best to ignore the profanity in his head, and stared at Rukia for some explanation of the woman who had just appeared in front of them. After Rukia gave no sign of desiring to enlighten Ichigo, Ichigo looked away from her, instead directing his gaze at the woman who had just flash-stepped in front of them, blocking the Senkaimon and their only exit. She was rather petite, with two white braids weighed down by golden rings sticking out of each side of her short-cropped, black hair. Her eyes had a certain slant to them that gave her a cocky, superior appearance, immediately setting Ichigo on edge. Over her black Shinigami robes, she wore a sleeveless white haori, which prompted Ichigo to remember Rukia explaining that each captain of the Gotei 13 wore that particular garment as a symbol of their authority.

"Kuchiki Rukia," Soi Fong said confidently, her white pigtails sailing in the breeze, "you are to surrender the Substitute Shinigami and yourself immediately, under the orders of Head Captain Yamamoto Genryuusai."

Rukia's hand slipped to her side, her fingers dancing on the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki.

Her motion didn't go unnoticed past the 2nd division captain. "Do you really think you could win against me?"

**Maybe not Rukia-chan, but Ichi here has the perfect nobody for the job.**

Rukia opened her mouth to answer to the taunt, but was cut off by the sudden roar of cherry blossoms as they swirled around the female Shinigami, enveloping her in a pink haze and blocking her from both Rukia's and Ichigo's vision. "Nii-sama!" Rukia's eyes automatically started searching for her brother, but Ichigo grabbed her hand and pulled her around the writhing pink mass and through the Senkaimon.

"No time to wait!"

Rukia reluctantly followed, only one thought on her mind. _How did things get this out of control?_

…

**Bleach ain't mine. Kubo Tite's got it.**

**Reviews always appreciated!**


	21. Reason

**Sorry I'm late... :'( **

Reason.

Time—The Maine

…

"My, my, you made it back! I hope the trip wasn't too rough." Urahara's concerned statement seemed less than genuine as he grinned behind his fan.

Rukia walked briskly past him. "It was fine."

Urahara looked over his shoulder at the petite Shinigami for a bit before turning back towards Ichigo. "So, Kurosaki-san! How did you find the trip?"

"Noisy." Ichigo grimaced as he brushed past Urahara. Following Rukia, he walked into the other room, yelling in surprise when he was suddenly knocked to the ground. Resisting the urge to nurse his broken behind, Ichigo looked up, finding himself looking into a pair of wide grey eyes. They closed in a happy smile as their owner greeted Ichigo. Ichigo just stared, utterly lost.

"Welcome back Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue beamed, then stood up and embraced Rukia. "You too, Kuchiki-san!"

Rukia stiffened, but accepted the hug. "Thanks, Inoue," she mumbled.

Inoue released Rukia as she felt Ichigo's eyes bore into her back. "Is something wrong, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked, frowning slightly.

Ichigo's amber eyes automatically drifted to Rukia. "Who is that?"

Rukia flinched. This was the first time Inoue had seen Ichigo since he had retreated into his soul; she had no idea about what was really wrong.

"Don't you remember me?" Inoue asked, managing to stay cheerful even as her voice wavered a bit.

Ichigo shook his head, not even the slightest recognition flashing in his expression. "No, sorry." Standing up, he brushed off his shihakusho. Seeing Inoue's confused, hurt expression he hastily added, "But I don't really remember much of anything. So if you say that I'm supposed to know you, then I guess I believe you."

Inoue nodded weakly, turning towards Rukia. Rukia smiled, trying to be supportive, and placed an arm on Inoue's shoulder. "There's a lot of, er, stuff that happened. We'll try our best to explain it."

Inoue nodded again, this time with a small noise of confirmation. Turning towards Ichigo, her eyebrows knitted together. "But shouldn't Kurosaki-kun return to his body first?"

"That would probably be optimal," Urahara interrupted, sliding open the door and joining the trio. "And then, you two," the shopkeeper pointed to Ichigo and Rukia, "will have to explain some things to me before I can explain some things to you."

"Thanks for being specific," Ichigo muttered.

(.bleach.)

After Ichigo had returned to his body, Urahara had sat the group down, asking Rukia and Ichigo to explain what exactly had happened since the day Renji had started a fight with Ichigo, and afterwards the two, and Rukia, had disappeared. Rukia had taken charge of the story-telling, designating Ichigo to listen carefully and add any details she had missed.

Ichigo would have happily done his job, and he tried his best to concentrate and listen to Rukia's voice, but it was hard. Whether it had been a gradual shift or a sudden craving, Ichigo didn't know, but as he sat in the small room, he couldn't help but _smell_ the souls of everybody in the room. It was an alarming realization, only another sign that he was losing himself to the Hollow's poison, but what alarmed Ichigo even more was the realization that the souls smelled good, appetizing.

His hands scratched at his neck, trying to shake himself back into sanity, but pulled away when they touched one of the repulsive black threads that had now started to creep up his face. He hadn't looked in a mirror, not wanting to see them, but he could feel them, feel them snaking around his body. Even as he sat, trying to listen to Rukia, Inoue kept glancing over at Ichigo, her grey eyes tracing the path of the vines.

Ichigo stared uncomfortably at the ground, knowing she was watching him and staring at the black threads, but not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo looked up at Urahara's unusually soft voice.

"Kuchiki-san said that Kurotsuchi Mayuri examined you?" Urahara frowned as he spoke. Ichigo grimaced as he nodded, a combination of the painful memories and the Hollow-like craving of souls.

"And he discovered..." Urahara left the sentence unfinished, glancing at Inoue. Ichigo nodded again, understanding what the shopkeeper meant. Instead of the shock and horror Ichigo thought he would see, there was just a sudden light in Urahara's eyes, as if the pieces of a complicated puzzle had finally fallen in place. "I see...so that' s how that works."

"How what works?" Ichigo asked, looking at both Rukia and Inoue, who both seemed to have a similar question in their heads.

Urahara smiled grimly. "Allow me to explain when I'm able to show you some more concrete evidence."

Ichigo nodded once again. After all, what choice did he have?

"Ichigo." Rukia's voice was strong, but there was a vulnerability to it that Ichigo hadn't heard before. Standing up, Rukia offered a hand to Ichigo, who took it cautiously. "Step outside for a bit?" she asked casually, already walking out the door before Ichigo nodded or gave a verbal indication that he would. Rukia didn't need that. She already knew he would.

(.bleach.)

The crisp night air cut through Ichigo's sweater as if he wasn't wearing one at all. Ichigo hugged himself, but then dropped his hands awkwardly to his side when he noticed how unaffected Rukia was by the cool temperature. Being able to sense how nervous and guarded her soul was only made things even more awkward.

"It's not the weather," Rukia commented, diverting her gaze anywhere but Ichigo.

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's not the weather that's making you so cold. It's those...black ropes." Rukia turned towards Ichigo pulling down the neck of his sweater. "Look," she commanded. "Their reach is even greater than before. And," Rukia said, releasing the collar of the sweater but pulling up the waistband instead, "the hole in your chest has only increased in diameter." Letting the knit sweater fall back down over Ichigo's exposed chest, Rukia stared up into his amber eyes, her frown deepening even as she did so. "You're eyes are different, too."

"What?" Ichigo asked, crossing his eyes for a brief instant before he realized he couldn't see his own face without a mirror. Blushing from his mistake, he looked back down at Rukia, his face settling into an anxious seriousness. "They're not..._his_ eyes, are they?"

Rukia shook her head slowly. "No...not like that. But they're lighter...more butterscotch than brown. Ichigo, every part of you is slowly becoming less like you! How...why...what are we supposed to do?"

"Sandal-hat's probably got a cure, right? He seems..." Ichigo trailed off, unable to find an adjective that would describe the particular aura that Urahara gave.

Rukia nodded, but still unconvinced. Discovering a cure to reverse the Hollowfication process would be monumental, something that would change the entire way Soul Society operated. The chances of Urahara finding a cure like that were slim, at best. But Rukia could keep her mouth shut, to keep Ichigo's hope alive and her own hope alive.

After all, if she had learned anything from her experiences with Ichigo, it was that he tended to do the impossible and change everything.

…

**I feel bad..I missed a day...forgive me? *puppy dog eyes***

**Bleach belongs to his highness, the king of trolling, Kubo Tite. ;)**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	22. Release

**Thank you guys so much! I think I had more reviews last chapter than ever before! *Is very happy***

**It really means a lot, and makes my day~**

Release.

Demon—Imagine Dragons.

"Walls of ironsand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end."

Rukia winced as the five concrete pillars fell on Ichigo's already kido-bound form. Looking to her left, Rukia questioned Urahara. "Is this really necessary?"

The shopkeeper laughed dryly, snapping out his fan. "Of course! I can't have Kurosaki-san tearing up my shop, now can I?" It was a rhetorical question, and Urahara kept going, increasing his volume to a shout as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "And Kurosaki-san doesn't mind, does he?"

Ichigo groaned in response. "'Course not..."

Urahara turned back towards Rukia. "There, you see?" Seeing Rukia's dubious expression, he yelled to Ichigo once again. "And it's not even the least bit uncomfortable, is it, Kurosaki-san?"

"'Course not..." came Ichigo's muffled reply, but Rukia heard his incoherent grumblings, and suspected that the binding kido was more than a little bit uncomfortable.

If Urahara heard Ichigo's grumblings as well, he didn't show it, instead turning around, facing the ladder that led up out of the spacious basement. "Shall we, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia stared. "Surely we aren't just going to leave him down here?"  
Urahara smiled. "I appreciate your concern for my little shop, but it will be easier to explain why all of this is necessary upstairs."

"I'm not concerned about your pitiful shop," Rukia muttered, but followed the shopkeeper anyways, giving Ichigo one last glance over her shoulder. He smiled, and his shoulder shifted a bit as if he was trying to wave, but the kido restricted his movements, and his arm stayed pinned to his side. Rukia frowned-the combination of the binding kido and the black vines that were scarily prevalent was just another reminder of how much trouble Ichigo was really in. Sighing, she turned away. Ichigo lifted up his head to watch Rukia until she disappeared, collapsing with a soft moan.

Any hope he had had before of Urahara having some sort of cure had been crushed the same time the pillars had stacked on top of him, so heavy he thought he might have ruptured a spleen. There really was nothing to hold on to. Even now, just breathing was pure torture, each new breath bringing the smell of souls. Even as his heart and mind swore that they weren't appetizing, his body thirsted for them with a vengeance that was extremely hard to deny.

**You're losing it. You're giving up.**

_Shut up._ Ichigo's rolled his eyes. He was in enough of a bind as it was; the last thing he needed was his hollow toying with him.

**Chih, you could at least try to be courteous. **

_Since when did you get so big on manners?_

**I'm not asking you to tuck your napkin in your shirt; I'm just asking for a little respect.**

Ichigo barked out a laugh. _Respect? You? Why the hell would I give you an ounce of respect?_

**Maybe because I'm the one person that can save you. Did you ever think of that? **

_I can honestly say that thought hasn't crossed my mind before._

**No need to be snarky. But what I said is true. Since you're giving up, your trust lieutenant is here to take up the fight.**

Ichigo sighed. Right now, letting someone else take care of his problem actually sounded like a good idea.

**You can trust me, ne?**

_Not really._

**That hurts.**

He really shouldn't trust his hollow. How many times had the sadistic bastard screwed him over or stolen control from him? Too many too count. But Ichigo was tired. And if his hollow _was_ telling the truth, then maybe letting go really was the better option.

**Best decision you'll ever make. 100% money back guarantee.**

Ichigo snorted. _Be my guest._ Shuddering, Ichigo watched as the world faded to black. He could practically feel the other him curling his mouth in a merciless smile.

**…**

Rukia stared in distaste at the wriggling, leech-like black gob of goo that Urahara held in the air between two fingers. It looked slimy and disgusting, and it emitted the reiatsu of a Hollow. Eyes widening, Rukia realized the repulsive creature that was in front of her was the exact same substance that snaked around Ichigo.

"It's parasitic," Urahara said, grimacing as he set the black leech back into its container.

"That's...what's...on Ichigo?" Rukia spoke slowly, trying to process it. That disgusting worm was wrapped around her friend? And if it was parasitic...

Urahara nodded. "Before, I could only conclude that strange black threads originated from a Hollow. But now, after examining this, I found out what their purpose is. Kuchiki-san, that night, when all of this started, the Hollow attacked Kurosaki-san, correct?"

Rukia nodded in affirmation.

"And afterwards, you saw no sign of it, correct? It just...disappeared?"

Rukia nodded again. "I saw Ichigo, falling from the sky, and the Hollow was still in the air, even after he used Getsuga Tenshou. I couldn't understand it at first, why he missed."

"He didn't miss." Urahara's voice was coolly confident, and it was the one stronghold, the one constant in Rukia's turbulent world. She had never been particularly fond of the shopkeeper; of course she had never wished him any ill will, but he didn't hold any place in her heart, but now she found herself relying on him more than she ever had. "Kurosaki-san destroyed the Hollow."

"But why was it still in the sky?" Rukia protested. "And why was Ichigo so critically injured, then?"

Urahara cleared his throat. "This is where my findings come into play. Kurosaki-san fired a Getsuga Tenshou, which successfully hit the Hollow. However, the Hollow was able to last a few minutes more, spending its last shreds of energy and reiatsu on a counterattack. This attack hit Kurosaki-san, critically wounding him, and in the process, implanting a small piece of the Hollow inside Kurosaki-san."

Rukia listened in astonishment, finally understanding as Urahara replayed that night for her, laying out exactly how they had come to this grave situation. Each event related to the next, weaving together like the black threads that had wrapped themselves around Ichigo's body.

"As Kurosaki-san rested, trapped in his own inner world, the fragment of the Hollow grew, spreading around his body at a rather impressive rate." Urahara looked directly at Rukia, tilting his hat up and revealing his eyes. "If you hadn't pulled Kurosaki-san out when you had, the Hollow would have most likely overtaken him completely. It's only that you woke Kurosaki-san up and forced him to fight again that he reclaimed control and was able to, well, be Kurosaki-san. If you hadn't interfered, Kuchiki-san, then the Hollow would have successfully been reincarnated, using Kurosaki-san's dormant body as a sort of host."

Rukia took a deep breath. "So...now...can he, can Ichigo be saved?"

Urahara sighed. "That's the part I'm struggling with, as well. In reality, Kurosaki-san should have been lost to us by now, and the Hollow should have completed its domination of his body. But Kurosaki-san's always been stubborn. His refusal to give up is what has most likely kept his consciousness alive this far. In theory, if Kurosaki-san refuses to submit to the Hollow, and keeps struggling, then there is no reason why he shouldn't be able to make a full recovery."

Rukia's heart soared for the first time in weeks. Her posture straightened, and the oppressive atmosphere in the small shop seemed to lighten, the first rays of hope shining through the windows. Could he really do it? Of course he could. Ichigo would fight, there was no way he would give up. Ichigo would come back.

Wouldn't he?

…

**Won't he? Can't he? Shouldn't he? ^^'**

**Bleach belongs to the *fabulous* Kubo Tite.**

**Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated. :)**


	23. Alien

**Latest Bleach Chapter= ? **

Alien.

Home—Three Days Grace

As Ichigo slipped away, his counterpart shuddered. Normally Ichigo's body felt just like _his_ own skin, but now everything about it was alien. There were few places the smothering black threads didn't reach. Their grip was strong and suffocating, and, combined with that shopkeeper's kido, restricted _his_ movement infuriatingly.

The kido didn't worry _him_. Grimacing, _he_ spiked his reiatsu, quickly and effectively snapping the level 60 binding magic. With a little more effort, the five concrete pillars fell away as well, forcing _him_ to close his eyes as the dust swirled through the underground training facility. Smirking a bit, _he_ sat up, lifting up one arm and staring at it in frustration. _He_ could _feel_ how much shit they were in, and if _he_ didn't do something about it fast, there wouldn't be any quick fix. Hell, there wouldn't be any fix at all.

If _he _closed _his_ eyes, _he_ could sense the extent to which the black vines had penetrated Ichigo's body, just from the disgusting reiatsu they released. "Hollows," _he_ spat, a disgusted sneer on _his_ face.

_Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite or anything._

_He_ laughed, an amused chuckle that echoed throughout the spacious basement. **"It's not being hypocritical. It's reiatsu is appallingly course."**

_It's a Hollow, just like you. I don't see the damn difference._

_He _sighed. **"I guess you always were a dumbass when it came to sensing reiatsus."**

_I'm not that bad,_ Ichigo muttered, so pathetically he didn't even believe himself.

_He_ raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything, instead choosing to keep instructing Ichigo on the difference between _himself_ and those other Hollows. **"It's reiatsu is so…simple."**

_And that's a bad thing? I thought that you preferred things simple—instincts and all that shit._

**"There's a difference between simple and uncomplicated, Ichigo. I like uncomplicated things. I don't like simple things. Simple things are stupid; simple things aren't worth my time."**

_Well then you should love trying to get us out of this situation._

_He_ scowled. **"I told you, I like uncomplicated things. This is too freaking complicated."**

_Then why did you say you were the only person that could save me?_

**"Because I am."**

_Then fricking do it!_

**"Don't rush me."**

'Don't rush me' was forgotten as the black threads abruptly threaded up _his_ neck and around _his _arms at a pace faster than they ever had before. _He_ stumbled backwards, staring down at the wriggling slime in distaste and alarm.

**"'da fu—" **_his_ startled outburst was cut off by the black vines, which threaded themselves completely around _his_ throat, eliminating _his_ air supply and causing _him_ to fall backwards, clutching desperately at _his_ throat.

Ichigo watched the scene unfold with terror. _Do something!_ he pleaded, unable to intervene.

When Ichigo's twin spoke, the only place it echoed was in their head. **What? **_He_ asked, just as terrified as Ichigo.

_I don't know! You're the one who said you could save us!_

**I could! Before I lost the ability to breathe!**

_His _face slowly turned red, then blue, before crossing the boundary into purple. _His_ frantic gasps for air slowly became quieter and quieter, even as their urgency increased.

"Ichigo!?"

Neither Ichigo or his hollow could see, but they both recognized that voice.

_Rukia!?_

**Tell the bitch to do something!**

_You're the one in control of my body!_

Soon, Rukia's cool hands were on Ichigo, touching his wrist, pulling at the chokehold the black threads had on his throat. She grunted as she pulled, but the vines didn't budge. "Ichigo!" she sobbed, "what am I supposed to do!?"

_He_ tried to reply, but all that came out was another strangled gasp.

Rukia desperately tried pulling at the vines again, even blasting a weak kido at them, but they were seemingly invincible. Horrified, she watched as they swallowed Ichigo whole.

…

**Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**Reviews always apreciated!**


	24. Isolation

Isolation.

Between Angels and Insects—Papa Roach

"Ichigo!" Rukia's hands shook as she stared through tear-blurred eyes at the spot she had last seen the orange-haired boy. The shaking spread to her arms, and her shoulders, and soon her whole body was trembling. "ICHIGO!" Rukia's hand flashed to her side, where she knew Sode no Shirayuki would be, but before she could unsheathe her sword, a hand stopped her, pushing her Zanpakuto back.

"You can't help." The shopkeeper's voice was steady, but it was almost too steady to truly be strong. Underneath Urahara's cool confidence there was an uncertainty that dug into Rukia, only increasing her terror.

Rukia looked up at Urahara, her desperate violet eyes stained by tears. "We have to do something!"

Urahara only shook his head slowly. "There's nothing we can do." His voice took on a sterner tone. "You pull out your sword, but what will you cut? Right now, your sword is as useless as your tears. The only thing they're accomplishing is tiring you out."

Rukia blinked, staring up at the shopkeeper, before lowering her head and placing her hand on the ground, pushing up off the compacted dirt and standing up. Wiping the sleeve of her shihakusho across her face, she nodded stiffly. "I understand," she said. Then, "Is there anything I can do?"

The faintest trace of a smile graced Urahara's face. Staring up at the sky, he answered, "Only wait. I'm afraid this is Kurosaki-san's fight."

Rukia nodded solemnly again. "I only hope he knows that," she whispered to herself.

(.bleach.)

The darkness was infinite. Eyes closed, eyes open, it was there, silent and suffocating. Ichigo was surprised by how quiet it was—surely, by now, one of his screams would have slipped loose, one of his pains would have been vocalized. The clawed hands that ripped at his chest weren't gentle, and neither the futile movements which he put all his strength behind. The darkness was infinite, and it was inescapable.

The worst part was, he was entirely alone.

**So what does that make me?**

_I think all along you've said you're nobody. _

**Doesn't mean I don't like being recognized…**

_Wh—_

Ichigo was cut off by a rusty, scratchy laugh. It echoed through the dark, infinite space making both Ichigo and his twin shiver. The laugh had the strange capacity to sound hearty and hollow at the same time. It broke off abruptly, and Ichigo was swallowed in silence once again.

Tentatively, he called out. "Who's there?"

Just as suddenly as it had disappeared, the laugh started again, chillingly heartless. "You..." the laughing voice rasped, "are one ssstrange...being...Kurosssaki Ichigo."

Ichigo took another chance, calling out to the voice once again. "How do you know my name?" Despite his efforts, his voice still wavered, bringing on another round of sadistic chuckles.

"Ahhh...Kurosssaki Ichigo...I know everything...about you. There'sss nothing you can sssay that will sssurprise me."

Ichigo swallowed his fear. "Who are you?"

"Can't you...fffeeel me? I'm inssside you, running through your veinsss, sssnaked around your ssskin."

**Ichigo…**

_Shut up._

The dry laugh sounded again, rough and brittle as snake's scales. "Or ssshould I sssay...you're...running through my...veinsss?"

"The hell does that mean?" Ichigo started, anger rising above his fear.

**Ichigo…**

"It meansss exactly what I...sssaid. You are...mine...Kurosssaki Ichigo. You...will be...ssswallowed by my...will...devoured by my...hunger...dessstroyed by my...desiresss..."

"No!"

"Resissstance is...pointlesss. There is nowhere...to run...inssside your own...sssoul. There is nowhere to hide...when all you are...isss mine. There is no one to help...when you are...alone..."

**"Chih, too bad I'm not alone!"** Ichigo felt his lips move, felt his tongue utter the words, but couldn't control what it said. Even in the darkness, he could feel his troubled scowl twisted into a cocky smirk. As his hollow released control, Ichigo could feel the smirk fall off his face as fast as it had come.

The rasping chuckle was in Ichigo's ears, the voice's hot breath on his shoulders. "Ahhh...the...other Kurosssaki Ichigo. Good to...meet you..."

Ichigo shut down his hollow before he opened his mouth again, managing to successfully shove his counterpart down.

**Why are you fighting?**

The Hollow chortled. "Problemsss...Kurosssaki...Ichigo?"

Ichigo replied to both of them. "Shut up!"

**Don't you get it, Ichigo?**

_I get that even as we're about to be swallowed by a Hollow, your still trying to screw me over and steal my body._

"Foolissshh...both of you..."

**For once, don't be a dumbass! For once in your life, think! Why haven't we been swallowed up already? Why do we still have consciousness?**

_Because..._ Ichigo trailed off, trying to think.

**Because I'm here, dipshit!**

…

**Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**

**Hey, guys, sorry to say, but I won't be able to update tomorrow. Going to a football game!**


	25. Refuse

**Thanks for the reviews! And, YES-it was a victory at the football game yesterday. ;)**

Refuse.

Resistance—Muse

The snapping sound of a flash-step echoed through the wooden shop, attracting the attention of its occupants—Urahara, Rukia, Orihime, Ishida, and Chad. Standing up and facing the recent arrivals, Urahara nodded, gesturing for them to sit down.

Renji hastily strode towards Rukia, folding his legs as he sat on the floor of the shop next to her. The others—Zaraki and his childish lieutenant, riding on his shoulder, along with Ikkaku and Yumichika—took various positions in the room, leaning on the wall or sitting on furniture.

"So where is the punk?" the captain of the 11th division asked, glaring expectantly at Urahara.

As the minutes ticked by and the shopkeeper didn't answer, the room became more and more uncomfortable, until finally Orihime broke the silence. "Er, Kurosaki-kun is downstairs..."

"Yes," Urahara smiled, "he's currently engaged in a little battle."

"So now you choose to speak," Rukia muttered under her breath.

"A battle? If Ichigo wanted to fight, he should've just asked me! I've been trying to get a rematch since he beat me."

"Well," Urahara said uneasily, "it's not exactly that type of battle, Kenpachi-san. Kurosaki-san is fighting for his...existence." Ignoring the collective shock that rippled through the room, Urahara went on cheerily. "Although, I'm sure he'd be happy to fight you after he's done!"

Renji looked at Urahara. "You feel no guilt at all just throwing him under the bus, do you?"

The shopkeeper snapped out his fan, waving it lazily in front of his face. "Why," he said, "I have no idea what you mean, Abarai-san. And I'm not sure that's the type of thing a freeloader who hasn't paid off his debts yet should say."

"Wha—" Renji burst out, standing up abruptly, but Rukia yanked him down, successfully shutting him up.

"I don't think," she said, "that this is a proper time to be arguing about petty things." Turning towards Renji, she added stiffly. "Do you?"

Everybody in the room heard the unspoken threat. "No," Renji muttered, staring at the ceiling. An uncomfortable silence filled the room as nobody spoke for a while.

Again, Orihime was the one to break the silence, nervously twirling her long auburn hair. "I don't think anybody needs to worry," she said softly, immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the room. "Kurosaki-san won't lose. Not when we're all depending on him."

Rukia looked down at the floor, a small smile gracing her lips. Somehow Inoue always had just the right words.

(.bleach.)

_He ran through the halls, nervously glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. It was a useless gesture—the dark hallways were pitch black, and he could barely see his own hand in front of his face—but it provided some mild form of comfort, some means of control. What he couldn't see wasn't there. What wasn't there wasn't a threat._

_ The only sounds in the blackness were his own heavy, desperate breaths and the slapping sound of his shoes against the tile. Plap plap plap. Compared to the silence, they seemed so stark and thundering. Plap plap plap._

_ He was tempted to start whistling just to break the silence. But, no, he could not do that. That would only aid them, only lead to his capture. And he was determined to get out of this dark place free and alive. Wiping a dirty hand across his sweaty forehead, he sighed, glancing over his shoulder once again._

_ This time, the gesture was not pointless. This time, the gesture did not provide any comfort. The yellow beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating a circle of the wall. The click-clack of dogs' nails on the clean tiles echoed through the hallway, sending shivers down his spine. Now the confident, commanding yells of the police force joined the click-clack of the dogs' nails, both sounds signaling his imminent capture and the end of his freedom—and most likely, the end of his life._

_ He pushed himself to the limit, forcing himself to run faster, looking over his shoulder the whole time. His frantic strides came to a halt when his shoulder slammed into a cold, stone wall, pain screaming through his beat-up body._

_ He was about to turn around and start running the other way when the harsh light of the search party burned into his eyes, temporarily blinding him._

_ Triumphant cries of "There he is!" mingled with the baying of dogs. They were calling for him. Calling for his blood._

_ The light illuminated his body, his clothes, his guilty face. Blood stained his wrinkled, ripped shirt. Blood was painted on his hands, splattered on his cheek. None of it was his. No blood of his had been spilled._

_ The police knew that. And they wanted to change that._

_ He sank against the wall, dropping the only defense he had—the knife he had used against the girl who had no defense at all. His mind hollered at him to run; wasn't freedom the most important thing? His heart replayed the desperate girl's face as she stared blankly into his face, her violet eyes dull as the life left her body, soaking his clothes in red. Strands of her raven hair had been caught in her mouth, but in her terror she hadn't noticed them. His body told him to stay where he was—he had run too much, he was tired. He was at his end._

_ He closed his eyes as the unforgiving, steel handcuffs clicked and locked around his wrists._

"No." His broken voice whispered, denying the scene that had been played in front of him.

"Yesss..." The rasping voice was unforgiving, despicably Hollow. "That wasss you...Kurosssaki...Ichigo."

**It wasn't you. You would never do that.**

"No." Ichigo felt lost. He hadn't done that. He knew that; even his darker side knew that, yet the memory had felt so _real._ Was that really one of his memories? Had he really done that to her? How could he have done that to her, the girl that changed him, changed everything, changed his world? Rukia...

"You...killed...her." The Hollow's voice was blunt, stating a fact.

**He's lying**, his hollow hissed.

"Why do you...doubt me...Kurosssaki Ichigo? I...am you. I...know you. That...wasss you. You cannot...deny...yoursself. You cannot...deny what...isss...part of you. You...did...that."

"No," Ichigo said again, his voice so soft and pathetic that he didn't even believe himself. He had killed her? How? Why...

**So what? **

"I killed her," he murmured.

**That's a damn lie!**

"No...it's real...I saw it. I felt it!" As his desperate voice cracked, so did his composure. Tears started streaming down his face, their end nowhere in sight.

**IT'S NOT REAL AND YOU KNOW IT! **

Ichigo shrank back at the sudden intensity in his companion's voice. The malevolent sneer was gone from his voice, replaced with a furious anger that shocked and unnerved Ichigo.

**Stop blaming yourself for everything! You can't blame yourself for things that aren't your fault, much less things that never happened! You're a fool if you believe what that sick ****_Hollow_**** is trying to get you to believe. You need to stop listening to him, and start fighting!**

Ichigo closed his eyes. "Why do you care so much?" he asked monotonously.

His hollow laughed. **Because if you're gone, then I'm gone, too. It pisses me off, that my existence is dependent upon yours, but it is. So you better get off your sorry ass and start working on how to get back in control…King.**

Ichigo was silent for a while. The Hollow took this as an opportunity to sway him.

"Kurosssaki...Ichigo. Are you...really going...to...believe...thisss sadissstic...part of yourself? Thisss...fragment of you...that you've...worked...ssso hard...to...forget? Aren't you...assshamed of...what you've...done? Don't you feel any...remorssse...for murdering sssomeone ssso...dear?"

For the first time in a while, Ichigo smiled. "No. I don't."

He could _feel_ the Hollow's shock, as tangible as the black vines that snaked around his body. "You...killed her. Murdered her...in cold blood...Rukia..."

"Don't you _dare_ say her name!" he yelled, righteous anger swelling up inside him.

There was a snap.

"I _don't_ feel sorry because I _didn't_ kill her! That memory's not mine! It _never _happened!"

Another snap.

"I'm not about to sit around and feel sorry about something that I never did!"

Two snaps this time, louder than the first ones.

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"

One final snap, and Ichigo discovered he could move his right hand.

**It's about damn time.**

This time, the grin belonged to both of them.

…

**Bleach, as always, belongs to Kubo Tite...my assassination attempts were futile after all. Drat. :P**

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	26. Blade

Blade.

Time of Dying—Three Days Grace

_He was sitting in a pool of blood. It was hot, sticky, and fresh. There was no question about the source of all of it—she was lying in his arms, a broken, beaten corpse. There was no luster to her raven hair. The sharp, knowing shine had faded out of her eyes. There were no questions. He knew exactly how this had happened. He had done—_

"NO!" His heart ached, but it wasn't like before. The guilt was gone from the pain—it was only the piercing bite of the image itself that pained him. There was no guilt. He had not done that. That had not happened. "No."

Another black thread snapped, its whiplash effect stinging Ichigo's skin. But it was a good sting. It was a good pain. It helped him to keep fighting; it kept things real.

The stinging pain of the black thread was accompanied by a dull aching in his head. Images, faces floated before his eyes; memories came rushing back. A girl with long, auburn hair and a kind smile...Inoue...Two small girls, one with blonde hair, and one with black...Ichigo smiled. "Yuzu," he whispered fondly, "Karin." More faces, more friends, more family. Each new face, each new memory filled him with more and more confidence, more drive to finish his fight.

"Ssstop denying...it!" Desperation was clumsily hidden in the eerie rasping voice. The Hollow was losing its advantage, losing its hold on Ichigo, and it knew it. It didn't like it either. Each snapped thread seemed to shake the Hollow's nerves more and more, but Ichigo's memories returning had completely undone the Hollow.

"Denying what?" Ichigo demanded. "I'm not denying, I'm remembering! I'm finally remembering the truth, the memories that you stole from me. You don't own me anymore. I'm not guilty. I'm not yours."

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. His left arm was free.

"Of...courssse...you...are!"

"No," Ichigo said simply, confidently. "I'm not."

"You are guilty...because...I am guilty. You...are only a...part of me. As...I am guilty...you are...guilty. You...are...a...part...of...me. You...are...just...as...guilty...as...me." The Hollow's voice was a furious hiss, distressed as a cornered animal.

Ichigo shook his head. "No."

In a second, the Hollow's low, rasping voice transformed into an animalistic, angered howl. "YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT GUILTY?"

Ichigo stood his ground, unwilling to submit again. "I'm not guilty!" he screamed back, relishing the Hollow's panic as the threads around his leg disappeared in one loud crack.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!"

"I will escape!"

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE WHAT YOU ARE!"

"I'm not part of you!"

The Hollow started laughing, a cruel, throaty sound that struck fear into Ichigo's heart. It wasn't a slow chuckle like before, and it was nowhere near as desperate or panicky as it had been before. Ichigo frowned. It was...triumphant, confident. Ichigo was suddenly afraid. Very afraid.

"Kurosssaki...Ichigo..." the Hollow said, its rasping voice returning, "you did a fine job...hiding them. But I've...found them. They...too...are mine."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo demanded, blind to whatever the Hollow had discovered.

The Hollow chuckled again. "Don't...you...realize? I'm...talking...about...them."

The blackness fell away, replaced with a rather small, but quaint home. It was warm and comfortable, and bitterly familiar. This was his home.

**It's not real**, his hollow warned, sensing that Ichigo was about to fall in again.

Two figures sat on the brown couch, small and fragile. Light, blonde hair contrasted with silky black as the two figures leaned comfortably on each other. Those were his sisters.

**They're not real.**

_But they are..._

Too late, Ichigo realized what the Hollow had discovered.

**It's discovered nothing! It's just trying desperate tricks!**

Too late, Ichigo realized just how dangerous memories could be.

**These aren't real memories, Ichigo!**

"Are you...happy you...remembered now...Kurosssaki...Ichigo?"

(.bleach.)

_His feet moved of their own accord, slow, silent steps towards the two petite forms resting on the couch. The coffee brown rug was perfect for masking the sound of his footsteps; the soft carpeting muffled the noise until there was almost none at all. Neither of the two girls had even done anything close to noticing him. The television program they had on took care of that._

_ His hand slipped to the inside of his coat pocket, fingers trailing across the cool surface of the blade before wrapping around its hilt. As he came closer, doubts started flashing through his mind._

_ Why was he here? Why was he doing this? He loved them..._

"You cannot...love...them. Thisss...isss...what you are. You...mussst...kill...them."

_"Why?" he asked, out loud._

_ The two girls jumped around, revealing their shocked, innocent faces. He crumpled inside._

_ Yuzu...Karin..._

_ Karin stared at him suspiciously, eyes raking him up and down. "Ichi-nii?" she asked._

_ Yuzu ran around the couch, towards him. His hold on the knife loosened as Yuzu's thin arms wrapped around him, her warmth spreading through him as she embraced him. "Onii-chan!" she said happily, looking up at Ichigo fondly._

_ His heart wavered. Why was he holding a blade?_

'**I want to protect...'**

_He blinked. That phrase...that was something he had said._

**Well it wasn't me that said it, I can tell you that. What the hell are you doing, Ichigo? What happened to winning this fight? You lose, and I'll kill you.**

_He looked around the room, at Yuzu's smile, at Karin's confused eyes, at his home. What was he doing?_

"Do...it!"

_"No."_

"Do it!"

_"NO!"_

_ The house started to crack, like pieces of a mirror falling apart. Dropping the knife, he watched as his home and his family disappeared._

_ They were gone._

**Don't be weak. You'll see them again.**

As snaps and cracks echoed around him, his lips split in a wide smile. A real, true smile.

He would see them again. He would protect. That was what his blade was for.

...

**Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**Reviews are always appreciated! :)**


	27. Shatter

**I'm a day late..sorry... :')**

Shatter

Radioactive—Imagine Dragons

…

It shattered.

That cage the Hollow had created, dark and isolated and forlorn, was falling to pieces, around all of their heads. Ichigo felt like singing, maybe even dancing, even as the shards left small slices in his skin, sharp as glass. The Hollow's howl of misery and defeat was like music. _Loud, painful music_, Ichigo mused as he covered his ears with his hands, grinning, _but music all the same._

"How...iss...thisss possible?" It screamed, and Ichigo flinched as the Hollow whipped one black thread around him in a desperate effort to reclaim his host. As he stepped forward, Ichigo watched the black goo slip to the ground before crushing it beneath his foot.

"Because you don't own me," he hissed between his teeth, staring down at the sticky remains of the Hollow with distaste. "Not anymore."

The Hollow gurgled a chortle, the sound grating against Ichigo's ears like nails on a chalkboard. "You were...much stronger than I...antisssipated...Kurosssaki Ichigo."

Ichigo scoffed. "And you're more of a desperate son of a bitch than I thought you were," he muttered.

The Hollow's gurgling chuckle escalated into full out laughter. "You...don't know the...truth of your own...wordsss," it hissed.

Ichigo barely had time to process what the Hollow said before the piercing pain thundered through his head, ringing his ears and forcing him to fall to his knees. The compacted dirt scraped his knees, leaving him with long, but shallow cuts that stung more than he thought they would. Compared to the sudden headache he had just received, though, the scrapes were angel wings brushing against his skin.

Ichigo's hand searched the ground blindly, feeling for the spot he had last seen the Hollow. There was nothing but the same pebbles and dirt. There was no sticky black goop, no snapped black threads.

"You sssay...you're not...mine...?" Ichigo flinched again, hands grasping his head as the Hollow's voice echoed inside his head. "Even if...it destroysss me...I...will...own...you...even if it'sss...the lassst...thing I...do..."

Ichigo was forced to believe it as a cold shiver ran down his spine, and another agonizing wave of pain shot through his head. He had succeeded in fighting the Hollow off, only to lose in the end. In between rounds of the Hollow's torture, Ichigo managed to sigh. If only he had known he was going to lose before that entire struggle, all of that pain.

(.bleach.)

Rukia jumped to her feet, looking at the floor beneath her. That change, that shift, this feeling—this was Ichigo's reiatsu, and there was no doubt about it. She had felt it many times before, knew the many facets and tones it had taken on. She had felt it when he was desperate and his reiatsu rushed over her in turbulent waves, unstable and unpredictable. She had felt it when he was happy, and his spiritual pressure was steady. And Rukia had felt his reiatsu when he was gone, and that other him was in control, the one he fought so hard to keep back.

She knew she was not mistaken. This was Ichigo's reiatsu, with all its quirks, and only Ichigo's reiatsu. Rukia couldn't feel any trace of the parasitic Hollow in it.

Apparently, neither could anybody else, as they all seemed to have reactions similar to Rukia. Urahara stood up calmly, walking over to the door to the underground training facility. Opening it slowly, the shopkeeper eventually disappeared as he climbed down the ladder. Rukia was next to descend the perilously tall ladder, followed by Renji, then Orihime, Ishida, and Chad.

"We'll follow ya down after a while," Ikkaku called down. "I'm sure you all want to have your sappy reunion first."

"Besides," Yumichika added, "that doesn't seem like a very beautiful place."

Their voices faded as the small party climbed down the ladder, not one of them daring to look down until their feet touched the ground. Rukia turned around, the smile on her face spreading the closer she got to Ichigo. He had won, pulled another victory out of his ass just like he had done countless times before. Rukia almost laughed.

And then she got close enough to see his tortured expression and pained posture.

Her happiness shattering, Rukia ran to his side, falling to her knees when she reached him. "Ichigo!" she shouted, shaking his shoulder. "Ichigo!"

His answer was a low moan. As Rukia's cool fingers brushed against Ichigo's temple, his eyelids fluttered open, amber eyes meeting violet. "Rukia..." he mumbled.

"Ichigo!" Her voice was anxious and worried, but commanding. "What happened? What's going on?"

"Inside," he hissed. Eyelids squeezing shut again as he sucked in air through his teeth, grimacing, Ichigo only repeated what he had said before. "Inside, Rukia."

As Rukia felt a calm hand on her shoulder, she looked up at its owner, questions reflected in her eyes. "What does that mean?" she asked Renji, who was staring down at Ichigo with questions in his own eyes. Renji only shook his head, motioning that it was over his head.

"Nothing to worry about!" Urahara's jovial voice echoed through the large room.

Renji and Rukia looked at Urahara incredulously; Orihime didn't seem quite so critical, but her eyes were worried and confused. Ishida, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. And nobody could tell what Sado was thinking—as usual, his eyes were hidden behind his rich brown hair.

"Nothing to worry about?" Renji repeated Urahara's words, adding a question mark.

Urahara nodded confidently, stopping by Renji and Rukia and peering down at Ichigo. "I head him correctly, didn't I?" He turned to Rukia. "Kurosaki-san said, and correct me if I'm wrong," Urahara added, leaning uncomfortably close to Renji, "'Inside.' 'Inside, Rukia.'." Urahara recalled in a terrible impression of Ichigo's voice.

Everybody in the room stared at Urahara, not quite sure what to make of his impression. "Yes, that is correct," Ishida finally said after no one responded. Urahara nodded thoughtfully, as if nothing had happened.

"So he is simply saying that the Hollow moved inside him," Urahara concluded, translating Ichigo's words.

"Wasn't it inside him the whole time?" Rukia asked, not understanding where Urahara found solace in the whole thing.

Urahara nodded. "Correct, Kuchiki-san! But before, the Hollow wasn't a concrete, solid being. It started out as a microscopic being that integrated itself into Kurosaki-san's body. Before, it was almost as much of a part of Kurosaki-san as the spirit of his Zanpakuto."

Rukia shuddered. Urahara had said nothing wrong, but his words were eerily familiar of something that was still in Ichigo. "So," Rukia started, shaking herself out of her thoughts, "what's the difference now? It's still inside him, even if it isn't connected to him. What's so different that it's 'nothing to worry about'?"

"What's so different?" Urahara peered down at Rukia. Then, snapping his fan shut, he tucked it in his pocket and filled his hand with a different object. Taking a heroic stance, he presented the object, a plastic bottle resembling some sort of cleaning project, to the small group in the basement. "This is so different!" he declared, shouting to the rooftop. "This time, we can use my special formula of Hollow-B-Gone!" Gesturing to the bottle, he assumed a less dramatic pose, one more like a salesperson. "Using this Hollow-B-Gone, we can chase the Hollow out of Kurosaki-san's body, where it will never come back! And for you, Kurosaki-san," Urahara addressed Ichigo, "we can perform this treatment for absolutely no charge! Think of it as the Urahara Shop's way of thanking you for all your services."

Ichigo grimaced. "How generous," he muttered, eyes still shut tight.

"No problem at all! No problem at all!" Urahara trilled. "However, I have to warn you—while we have perfected the technical side of the mixture, the taste of it is...far from perfect." Seeing everyone's skeptical looks, the shopkeeper quickly added, "but don't worry, I guarantee it will work!"

"Let's get it over with, then," was Ichigo's less-than-enthused reply.

…

**Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite, and ERHMUGERD DID U READ THAT LAST CHAPTER**

***ahem***

**Reviews always appreciated! :)**


	28. The Way We Decide

**Hey, guys, this is the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. :)**

**(Most of the author's note is at the bottom, so you guys can actually read the chapter. XD)**

The Way We Decide.

Rainbow—Ichigo Kurosaki

"Ichigo."

Ichigo looked down at Rukia, surprised to find her staring out at the landscape of Karakura instead of looking at him. It wasn't like Rukia, and was the first warning bell that something was wrong, but even so, he couldn't help the small smile that crept across his lips. Somehow he had never pictured things coming together like this. Rukia sat by his side, her shihakusho brushing against his exposed arms as a warm gentle breeze blew through their hair. They sat so still, it seemed that they, too, were part of the scenery dyed gold by the setting sun.

"Yeah?"

"What was it like?" Rukia's voice was straight and tense, her violet eyes still gazing at the buildings of Karakura Town.

Now Ichigo gazed at the landscape, too, his hand curling into a fist at his side. "What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Rukia made a small derisive noise in the back of her throat. "You know what I mean," she said sternly, turning her head to look up at Ichigo. "Living without...anything."

Ichigo arched an eyebrow. "Living without anything, huh? Sorry," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I don't know what that's like."

Rukia hit him. "You had nothing!" she shouted, sudden emotion falling into her voice as she stared up at him, unanswered questions in her violet eyes. "Ichigo, you had no past, no friends, nothing! You were living with nothing, and yet..." Rukia trailed off.

"And yet what? Yet I made it out alive? Yet I'm sitting here right now, next to you? I don't see what's so bad about that. I'm alive. I have a past, I have friends, I have family. Rukia," Ichigo said, grabbing her shoulder and forcing her to look at him, "I have everything. Why can't you just be grateful that everything turned out fine?"

"Because," Rukia protested stubbornly, "I don't know that it has yet."

Ichigo's hand fell off Rukia's shoulder, and he lamely tried to pass it off as intentional by picking at the grass.

"By all logic, you should not be here." Rukia's tone was neutral, but the stress in it betrayed her anxiety. "Something happened down there, Ichigo. Something happened that you're not telling me, that you're not telling anybody. If it was just you," Rukia continued, "you should be gone."

"Gee," Ichigo scoffed, "thanks."

"You know that's not what I mean," Rukia objected. "All I mean is that somebody or _something_ helped you."

"I thought I wasn't supposed to take on everything by myself."

Rukia made another small noise of protest. "You know that's not what I mean, too," she said, shaking her head. "All I'm saying is that I don't know if whoever or whatever helped you is necessarily on your side."

Ichigo scoffed, startling Rukia. She watched him, a strange look in her eyes as his scoff turned into a smile, then gradually dissipated into a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

Ichigo shook his head, trying to suppress his chuckles. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Rukia wasn't convinced, mostly in part of Ichigo's continued snickers. "What's so funny?" she asked again irritably.

Ichigo finally stopped laughing, staring at the sky with a distant look. "It's just what you said." Rukia stared at him blankly, prompting Ichigo to further explanation. "That you don't know if who helped me is actually on my side."

"So it is a who," Rukia mused.

"I suppose so," Ichigo admitted grudgingly. "And, they are most definitely not on my side."

"Then...why?"

"It was in his best interest."

_Isn't that right?_

**Shaddap…'chigo. Trying to sleep.**

_Aww. Little Shiro is still tuckered out after fighting the big bad Hollow?_

**I said…Shaddap, **the hollow growled. **Wait****_,_** he said, picking up on what Ichigo had said. **What's with the whole Shiro thing?**

_...it's nothing. I just figured that if I was going to make good on this deal, then I should probably come up with something to call you. 'Hollow' and 'Other me' is getting old._

**Told you,** Shiro said after a pause**, I'm Zangetsu.**

_Not anymore, Shiro. _

**Dumbass. Now shut up. I'm trying to sleep.**

_Oh, so little Shiro _is_ tired? Time for a nap?_

**You should just be thankful…that I'm leavin' you…alone…**

Ichigo sighed. That was probably true.

"It was _him_, wasn't it?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo flinched. He had dropped hints, half hoping that she would get it and stop bugging him, and half hoping that she wouldn't get it so he wouldn't have to explain what he himself didn't fully understand.

"Yeah," Ichigo admitted, watching Rukia's face with apprehension. As he predicted, several emotions played across it, the most prominent of which was worry, but was not completely overshadowing anger.

"You fool! After working so hard to beat back that...that..._hollow_ inside you, you just let him in?"

Ichigo grimaced in the venom in Rukia's voice. "It was my only option," he said, trying to placate the petite shinigami.

Rukia stared straight ahead, knowing that Ichigo was most likely right, but refusing to acknowledge it. "What was the price?" she asked.

"What?"

"Don't mistake me for a fool, Ichigo. You can't tell me that _he_ helped you just out of the goodness of his heart. You must have made some sort of deal with him."

_Sometimes I wish she wasn't so intuitive._

"Don't do that! It's creepy. You can't just complain about things I say to that hollow inside you. And," Rukia added sullenly, "since when are you and him best friends?"

Ichigo scowled as Shiro started to laugh, albeit it sleepily.

**What were you saying about intuitive?**

"So," Rukia said, "what's the deal?"

**Looks like you've trapped yourself in a corner, eh, ****_partner_****?**

_Thought you were sleeping._

**Nah. This is way too interestin' too miss.**

"Ichigo! Stop chatting inside your head and tell me what you promised him."

Ichigo blinked, taken aback by the plea in Rukia's voice. Sighing, he relented. "I was pretty much done for. I...I needed his help."

**Damn right you did.**

"At first, there was no price. He helped because if I died, so would he. It was that simple."

Shiro laughed. **It was uncomplicated, not simple. Simple things aren't worth my time.**

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but amended his previous statement. "Sorry, it was uncomplicated, not simple." Rukia raised her eyebrows at the strange correction, but didn't interrupt. "But at the end...I had won, but that meant he won, too. After fighting so much, there was no way I could hold him back. In reality, it should be _him_ talking to you right now, not me."

"So then, not to sound callous, but why are you here?"

"He was tired, too."

**Not that tired…only because I was saving your weak ass.**

Rukia barked out a laugh. "You're trying to tell me that your _hollow_ was trying to take a nap?"

**You just gonna let her talk about me like that?**

Ichigo laughed. "Yeah. That's what I'm telling you."

**Traitor…**

"So, we kind of just came to a mutual agreement." Ichigo tried to pass of the statement as casually as he could, but Rukia didn't buy it.

"Stop dancing around the subject, Ichigo. What do you owe him?"

Ichigo shook his head, staring up at the sky. "It's not like that."

"Just tell me!"

Ichigo looked down at Rukia, and she immediately decided she didn't like the look in his amber eyes. They were distant, even slightly aloof. "You don't need to worry about it," he said. "It's something that I can handle. Between me, myself and I."

**So which one am I?**

"You idiot." Rukia stared angrily at Ichigo, her violet eyes flashing. If she wasn't so irritated with him, she probably would've blushed at the close proximity between herself and him. Everything was alright, everyone was safe, and yet there couldn't be a happy ending, all because Ichigo had to be a fool and end things on his terms. He couldn't share the burden with somebody else, could he?

"I know." Ichigo smiled a bit, almost wistfully. Nothing was blocking him from noticing the almost non-existent gap between himself and Rukia and his cheeks flushed pink as the heat rose in his face. "But," Ichigo continued, making the almost non-existent gap even closer to non-existent, "I guess that's why I need you, huh?"

Rukia barely had time to agree before Ichigo's lips were on hers, nervous and warm and surprisingly soft. Her violet eyes widened for a second, and there was a tense moment when Ichigo thought she would push him away, but after the shock wore off, she relented, wrapping her arms around Ichigo and running her hand through his soft orange hair, painted gold by the sunset. Ichigo's shaking hand found its way to Rukia's cheek, caressing it gently, as if he was afraid he would break her. Rukia closed her eyes, leaning into his hand.

_Maybe this wasn't a perfect happy ending, where Ichigo was completely safe and debt-free_, Rukia thought as she pulled away for a second, and her and Ichigo fell into that infinite space where their lips were almost touching, so close, but yet far enough that there was distinction between the two again, _but,_ she added.

_This is pretty damn close._

Ichigo caught her again, and Rukia lost herself in Ichigo's comforting and familiar embrace, the warm glow of the setting sun, the soft feel of his hair in her fingers, and Ichigo's boyish scent.

Which, oddly enough, did smell a little like strawberries.

The end.

**So..yup. I'm ending it like that. :)**

**And, isn't this the coolest thing! That song up above is actually sung by Ichigo! Well, his voice actor Masakazu Morita, but same thing. The Bleach characters ACTUALLY SING SONGS! IT'S SO AWESOME! (Lol, this noob just discovered the Bleach Beats Collection today...)**

**I want to give a HUGE thank you to anyone who read this whole thing. Thank you so, so much.**

**I would like to give an even HUGER thank you to those who left a review. You guys are amazing, and are basically the reason I even finished this.**

**I would like to give a super-ginormous-monster-size thank you to the following people, who left reviews on every, or almost every single chapter. You guys are mind-blowing. You have no idea how many times you've made me smile. You guys leave reviews like a boss.**

**Thank you so so so so much to:**

**ShiroHichi891**

**Forever Iron Man**

**Scaehime-KingofKing's Daughter**

**Booklover2526**

**falconrukichi**

**vic**

**Zangetsu50**

**And anybody else, guest or otherwise that left a review. You guys are so inspiring and supportive.**

**Arigato. Kara watashi no kokoro.**

**ありがと。 から 私の 心。**

**(LOL, I'm a dork, I know. Still trying to learn Japanese. XD) But seriously, thank you!**

**...**

**And if you're still reading, after I finish 'Love Game' I've got a few ideas for my next Bleach fanfiction. So if you're interested in that, come check out my profile and vote on what my next fanfiction will be on! :)**


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